What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bedford has the highest household income ($167k).

Stowe has grown the fastest since 2010 (+21.1%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bedford	Stowe
People
Population	23,746Highest	5,285Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+21.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45±2.2Lowest 16% above U.S.	46.3±7.6Highest 19% above U.S.
	Stowe and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22.7%±2.5Highest U.S.: 22%	22.5%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Bedford and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.5%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	25.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Stowe and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	63%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	66.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.7%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%	1.6%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Bedford and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$167,418±$12kHighest 107% above U.S.	$93,618±$33kLowest 16% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$612,100±$26kLowest 84% above U.S.	$647,800±$157kHighest 95% above U.S.
	Stowe and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,099±$274Highest 49% above U.S.	$1,458±$242Lowest 3% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$9,803Highest 214% above U.S.	$7,161Lowest 130% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	59.4%±15.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	24.5%±15.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	9.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	82.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	78.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1990Highest 10 yrs newer than U.S.	1982Lowest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 4% below U.S.	19 minLowest 27% below U.S.
Work from home	27%±3.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%	24.4%±8.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Bedford and Stowe 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	#7 of 120 in NH	—
School district	Bedford School District	Stowe Town School District
High school in town	Bedford High School	Stowe High School
Students per teacherat that high school	13.5Highest	11.3Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.