What stands out worked out from the figures below

Whitefield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.7%).

Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).

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	Whitefield	Wayne
People
Population	2,157Highest	1,101Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.7%Highest ME: +2.6%	-5%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	51.9±5.2Lowest 16% above ME	55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME
	Wayne and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.6%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1%	13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1%
	Whitefield and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.1%±4.6Lowest ME: 22.4%	29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4%
	Wayne and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	32.7%Lowest ME: 36.2%	48.8%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4%±2Lowest ME: 5.8%	6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8%
	Wayne and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$73,875±$10kLowest about the ME average	$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME
	Wayne and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$242,300±$24kLowest 18% below ME	$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$895±$126Lowest 21% below ME	$983±$554Highest 14% below ME
	Wayne and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,366Lowest 22% below ME	$3,289Highest 8% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	33.3%±22.1Highest ME: 48.4%	25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4%
	Whitefield and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.1%Lowest ME: 10.7%	7.9%Highest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.5%Highest ME: 74.3%	89.9%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME	1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minLowest 23% above ME	30 minHighest 24% above ME
Work from home	13.5%±6.8Lowest ME: 15.9%	26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9%
	Wayne and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	RSU 12	RSU 38
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.