What stands out worked out from the figures below

Warner has the most affordable homes ($353k median).

Topsfield has the most expensive homes ($853k 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	Topsfield
People
Population	2,959Lowest	6,564Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.7±4Highest 12% above U.S.	42.2±1.8Lowest 8% above U.S.
	Warner and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.3%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	24.8%±4.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Topsfield and Warner 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%	22.4%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Topsfield 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%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	71.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.8%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Warner and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$94,022±$18kLowest 16% above U.S.	$195,718±$16kHighest 142% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$353,100±$22kLowest 6% above U.S.	$853,400±$40kHighest 157% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,219±$123Highest 14% below U.S.	$1,115±$538Lowest 21% below U.S.
	Warner and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,650Lowest 145% above U.S.	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.7%±21.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	41.9%±40.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Warner and Topsfield 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%	7.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	90.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S.	1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 20% above U.S.	28 minLowest 4% above U.S.
Work from home	16.6%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	29.4%±8.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Topsfield and Warner 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	—	#172 of 282 in MA
School district	Kearsarge Regional School District	Topsfield
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.