What stands out worked out from the figures below

Warner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.7%).

Benson has the most affordable homes ($242k median).

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	Warner	Benson
People
Population	2,959Highest	784Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-7.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.7±4Lowest 12% above U.S.	51.9±9.4Highest 33% above U.S.
	Benson and Warner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.3%±3.3Highest U.S.: 22%	16.5%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Warner and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.4%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	26.9%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Benson and Warner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	42.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	32.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.3%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Benson and Warner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$94,022±$18kHighest 16% above U.S.	$78,625±$8kLowest about the U.S. average
	Warner and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$353,100±$22kHighest 6% above U.S.	$242,000±$26kLowest 27% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,219±$123Highest 14% below U.S.	$1,113±$170Lowest 21% below U.S.
	Warner and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,650Highest 145% above U.S.	$4,125Lowest 32% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.7%±21.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	53.4%±35.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Benson and Warner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	80.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975 5 yrs older than U.S.	1975 5 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 min 20% above U.S.	32 min 20% above U.S.
Work from home	16.6%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	18.6%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Benson and Warner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Kearsarge Regional School District	Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.