What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wolfeboro has the most expensive homes ($547k median).

Gardner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.2%).

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	Wolfeboro	Gardner
People
Population	6,571Lowest	21,148Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+5.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	57±1.8Highest 47% above U.S.	43.7±2.3Lowest 12% above U.S.
Kids under 18	13.7%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.3%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22%
	Gardner and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	34.6%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	19.6%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	45%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	23.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.6%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Gardner and Wolfeboro 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.	$67,518±$8kLowest 16% below U.S.
	Wolfeboro and Gardner 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.	$301,600±$20kLowest 9% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,103±$76Lowest 22% below U.S.	$1,109±$51Highest 22% below U.S.
	Gardner and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,531Highest 45% above U.S.	$4,150Lowest 33% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	12%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	49.7%±8.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	8.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	13.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	78.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	58.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.	1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 10% below U.S.	31 minHighest 16% above U.S.
Work from home	22.9%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%	13.3%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Wolfeboro and Gardner 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	#273 of 282 in MA
School district	Governor Wentworth Regional School District	Gardner
High school in town	Kingswood Regional High School	Gardner High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1Lowest	13.5Highest
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.