Compare towns
Wolfeboro vs Appleton vs Brookfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wolfeboro has the most people working from home (22.9%).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Brookfield has the most homeowners (98.4%).
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.
| Measure | Wolfeboro | Appleton | Brookfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,571Highest |
1,360 |
567Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 57±1.8 47% above U.S. |
49.2±7.4Lowest 26% above U.S. |
58.1±9.7Highest 49% above U.S. |
| Brookfield and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.7%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
15.3%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
8.6%±4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Appleton and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 34.6%±5.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
26.1%±9.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
38.4%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brookfield and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.5%±5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Brookfield and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $94,375±$22kHighest 17% above U.S. |
$53,618±$19kLowest 34% below U.S. |
$81,406±$31k about the U.S. average |
| Wolfeboro and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $546,500±$60kHighest 64% above U.S. |
$235,600±$33kLowest 29% below U.S. |
$428,000±$61k 29% above U.S. |
| Wolfeboro and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,103±$76Lowest 22% below U.S. |
$1,104±$82Highest 22% below U.S. |
— |
| Appleton and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,531 45% above U.S. |
$3,588Lowest 15% above U.S. |
$5,926Highest 90% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 12%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
85.4%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
— |
| Appleton and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
98.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 10% below U.S. |
30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
27 min 3% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.9%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.7%±6.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Wolfeboro and Brookfield 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 | #46 of 120 in NH | — | — |
| School district | Governor Wentworth Regional School District | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | Kingswood Regional High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.