What stands out worked out from the figures below

Whitefield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8%).

Franconia has the most expensive homes ($530k median).

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	Franconia
People
Population	2,516Highest	1,060Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8%Highest NH: +4.6%	-1.9%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	51.4±4.6Lowest 19% above NH	55.6±7Highest 28% above NH
	Franconia and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.3%±4.6Lowest NH: 18.2%	15.2%±5.5Highest NH: 18.2%
	Franconia and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	28.6%±5.4Lowest NH: 20.1%	36.6%±6.7Highest NH: 20.1%
	Franconia and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	26.7%Lowest NH: 40.6%	57.9%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.9%±3.2Highest NH: 6%	5%±5.4Lowest NH: 6%
	Whitefield and Franconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$63,125±$12kLowest 36% below NH	$87,292±$28kHighest 12% below NH
	Franconia and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$240,400±$22kLowest 40% below NH	$530,300±$96kHighest 32% above NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,077±$160Lowest 28% below NH	$1,281±$278Highest 14% below NH
	Franconia and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,394Lowest 34% below NH	$7,451Highest 12% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.9%±15.6Lowest NH: 48.2%	73.2%±74.4Highest NH: 48.2%
	Franconia and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11%Lowest NH: 7.2%	11.4%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	62.6%Lowest NH: 72.8%	83.1%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1965Lowest 14 yrs older than NH	1981Highest 2 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest about the NH average	20 minLowest 25% below NH
Work from home	7.2%±4.7Lowest NH: 16.8%	11.9%±5.1Highest NH: 16.8%
	Franconia and Whitefield 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	#86 of 120 in NH	—
School district	White Mountains Regional School District	Lafayette Regional School District
High school in town	White Mountains Regional High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	7.9	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

NH 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.