What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Rye has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.6%).

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	Rye
People
Population	1,101Lowest	5,611Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+4.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	55.6±5.3Highest 43% above U.S.	55.1±3Lowest 42% above U.S.
	Wayne and Rye 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%	18.2%±4Highest U.S.: 22%
	Rye and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.2%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	31.7%±5.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Rye and Wayne 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%	61.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.5%±2.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$93,194±$26kLowest 15% above U.S.	$140,655±$39kHighest 74% above U.S.
	Rye 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.	$1,028,100±$89kHighest 209% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$983±$554Lowest 30% below U.S.	$1,781±$156Highest 26% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,289Lowest 5% above U.S.	$7,519Highest 141% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	25%±52.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	44.3%±16.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Rye 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%	6.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	85.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 15% above U.S.	29 minLowest 9% above U.S.
Work from home	26.2%±11.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	30.9%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Rye and Wayne 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	—	#2 of 120 in NH
School district	RSU 38	Rye 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.