What stands out worked out from the figures below

Westfield has the most people working from home (36.6%).

Ripley has the most kids (16.3% 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	Westfield	Ripley
People
Population	389Lowest	436Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-17.1% ME: +2.6%	—
Median age	47.5±5Lowest 6% above ME	47.7±5.3Highest 6% above ME
	Ripley and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	8.7%±4.5Lowest ME: 18.1%	16.3%±6.5Highest ME: 18.1%
	Ripley and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.2%±7.5Highest ME: 22.4%	17.7%±4.6Lowest ME: 22.4%
	Westfield and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	18.4%Lowest ME: 36.2%	19.4%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0%±4Lowest ME: 5.8%	3.7%±6Highest ME: 5.8%
	Ripley and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$52,917±$17kLowest 29% below ME	$64,821±$13kHighest 13% below ME
	Ripley and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$134,400±$61kLowest 55% below ME	$144,300±$33kHighest 51% below ME
	Ripley and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$950±$175Lowest 17% below ME	$1,091±$281Highest 4% below ME
	Ripley and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,550Highest 49% below ME	$1,270Lowest 58% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4%	11.5%±73.7Highest ME: 48.4%
	Ripley and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.9%Highest ME: 10.7%	11.9%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	83.3%Highest ME: 74.3%	81%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME	1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 24% below ME	32 minHighest 28% above ME
Work from home	36.6%±31.8Highest ME: 15.9%	6.5%±6.2Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Westfield and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.