What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Perry has the most kids (24.1% under 18).

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	Perry
People
Population	1,101Highest	744Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5%Highest ME: +2.6%	-9.8%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME	45.5±11.4Lowest about the ME average
	Wayne and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1%	24.1%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1%
Age 65+	29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4%	21%±6.2Lowest ME: 22.4%
	Wayne and Perry 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 ME: 36.2%	31.6%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8%	2.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Wayne and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME	$82,056±$4kLowest 10% above ME
	Wayne and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME	$196,400±$13kLowest 34% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$983±$554 14% below ME	—
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,289Highest 8% above ME	$3,132Lowest 3% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4%	27.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4%
	Perry 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 ME: 10.7%	4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.9%Lowest ME: 74.3%	91.8%Highest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME	1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 24% above ME	26 minLowest 6% above ME
Work from home	26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9%	23.4%±11.9Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Wayne and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	RSU 38	Perry Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

ME 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.