What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Lyme has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.7%).

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	Lyme
People
Population	1,101Lowest	1,710Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+1.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	55.6±5.3Highest 43% above U.S.	48.6±7.8Lowest 25% above U.S.
	Wayne and Lyme 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%	19.5%±3.4Highest U.S.: 22%
	Lyme 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%	26.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Wayne and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	70.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.5%±2.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.3%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Wayne and Lyme 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.	$133,906±$15kHighest 66% above U.S.
	Lyme 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.	$645,000±$64kHighest 94% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$983±$554Lowest 30% below U.S.	$1,418±$130Highest about the U.S. average
	Lyme 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.	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	25%±52.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	52.8%±29.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Lyme 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%	4.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	80.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1977Lowest 3 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 15% above U.S.	21 minLowest 21% below U.S.
Work from home	26.2%±11.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	27.2%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Lyme and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	RSU 38	Lyme 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.