What stands out worked out from the figures below

Walpole has the most expensive homes ($320k median).

Northfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.9%).

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	Walpole	Northfield
People
Population	3,690Lowest	4,971Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.7%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+0.9%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	46.5±10.4Highest 7% above NH	42.6±5.1Lowest about the NH average
	Walpole and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22.2%±5.2Highest NH: 18.2%	20.3%±4.9Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Walpole and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.5%±5.4Highest NH: 20.1%	17.2%±3.6Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Walpole and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	32.9%Highest NH: 40.6%	23.7%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4%±2.8Lowest NH: 6%	5.1%±2.5Highest NH: 6%
	Northfield and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$82,617±$16kLowest 17% below NH	$92,917±$15kHighest 6% below NH
	Northfield and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$319,800±$48kHighest 21% below NH	$288,500±$33kLowest 28% below NH
	Walpole and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,165±$150Highest 22% below NH	$1,076±$182Lowest 28% below NH
	Walpole and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,078Highest 9% below NH	$5,097Lowest 24% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.6%±21.9Highest NH: 48.2%	24.1%±14.1Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Walpole and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.7%Highest NH: 7.2%	8.1%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	69.9%Lowest NH: 72.8%	71.6%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1967Lowest 12 yrs older than NH	1979Highest same as NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 13% below NH	26 minHighest 4% below NH
Work from home	7.2%±4.9Highest NH: 16.8%	6.9%±3.6Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Walpole and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#27 of 120 in NH	#109 of 120 in NH
School district	Fall Mountain Regional School District	Winnisquam Regional 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.