What stands out worked out from the figures below

Tuftonboro has the shortest commute (30 min average).

Mason has the most kids (28.8% under 18).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Tuftonboro	Mason
People
Population	2,569Highest	1,451Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.4%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+4.8%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	51.9±7.5Highest 20% above NH	43.7±2.3Lowest about the NH average
	Tuftonboro and Mason are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.2%±4.7Lowest NH: 18.2%	28.8%±6.3Highest NH: 18.2%
	Mason and Tuftonboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.8%±6.9Highest NH: 20.1%	15.6%±2.1Lowest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.6%Lowest NH: 40.6%	39.5%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0.8%±0.8Lowest NH: 6%	1.8%±1.1Highest NH: 6%
	Mason and Tuftonboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$100,574±$16kLowest about the NH average	$111,090±$3kHighest 12% above NH
	Mason and Tuftonboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$462,300±$46kHighest 15% above NH	$384,000±$21kLowest 5% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,311±$358Lowest 12% below NH	$2,530±$852Highest 70% above NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,004Lowest 55% below NH	$7,049Highest 6% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	6.5%±28.5Lowest NH: 48.2%	87.2%±42.4Highest NH: 48.2%
Below poverty line	4%Lowest NH: 7.2%	4.7%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	92.6%Highest NH: 72.8%	90.7%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Lowest 3 yrs older than NH	1988Highest 9 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minLowest 12% above NH	41 minHighest 53% above NH
Work from home	14.3%±8.9Lowest NH: 16.8%	20.7%±4.5Highest NH: 16.8%
	Mason and Tuftonboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Governor Wentworth Regional School District	Mason School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

NH average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.