What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wayne has the most affordable homes ($363k median).

Atkinson has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5%).

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	Wayne	Atkinson
People
Population	1,101Lowest	7,267Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+5%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	55.6±5.3Lowest 43% above U.S.	57.1±2.8Highest 47% above U.S.
	Atkinson and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.4%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	14.1%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22%
	Atkinson and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.2%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	27.4%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Wayne and Atkinson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	42.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.5%±2.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	5.8%±4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Wayne and Atkinson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$93,194±$26kLowest 15% above U.S.	$146,380±$32kHighest 81% above U.S.
	Atkinson and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$362,800±$29kLowest 9% above U.S.	$555,200±$65kHighest 67% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$983±$554Lowest 30% below U.S.	$1,140±$32Highest 19% below U.S.
	Atkinson and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,289Lowest 5% above U.S.	$6,918Highest 122% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	25%±52.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	66.5%±39.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Atkinson and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	1.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	92.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980 same as U.S.	1980 same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 15% above U.S.	28 minLowest 7% above U.S.
Work from home	26.2%±11.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	21.1%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Wayne and Atkinson 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	—	#32 of 120 in NH
School district	RSU 38	Timberlane Regional School District
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.