Compare towns
Arlington vs Meredith vs Bolton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Arlington has the most people working from home (35.9%).
Meredith has the most expensive homes ($480k median).
Bolton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.1%).
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 | Arlington | Meredith | Bolton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,598 |
6,758Highest |
1,163Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.6±4 3% below U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
36.3±1.7Lowest 7% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.9%±4 U.S.: 22% |
| Arlington and Bolton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
6.7%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 55.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
58.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Arlington and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $102,308±$11k 27% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
$111,125±$17kHighest 38% above U.S. |
| Bolton and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $318,500±$59k 4% below U.S. |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$311,600±$42kLowest 6% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,191±$172 16% below U.S. |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,299±$273Highest 8% below U.S. |
| Bolton and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$4,826 55% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 77.1%±9.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
28%±30.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 7.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
28 minHighest 5% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 35.9%±10.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.9%±8.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Arlington and Meredith 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 | #50 of 70 in VT | #62 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Arlington School District | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District #401 |
| High school in town | Arlington Memorial | Inter-Lakes High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.6Lowest |
11.1Highest |
— |
| 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.