What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bow has the most kids (25% under 18).

Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).

Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.

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	Bow	Middlebury
People
Population	8,335Lowest	9,175Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+7.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.5±2Highest 7% above U.S.	31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S.
Kids under 18	25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%	11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	17.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.7%±2.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Middlebury and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	55.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S.	$86,169±$16kLowest 7% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S.	$409,700±$30kLowest 23% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S.	$1,156±$113Lowest 18% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$9,584Highest 207% above U.S.	$6,868Lowest 120% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	50.9%±14.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Middlebury and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S.	1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minHighest about the U.S. average	16 minLowest 41% below U.S.
Work from home	22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	18.8%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Bow and Middlebury 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	#26 of 120 in NH	#17 of 70 in VT
School district	Bow School District	Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55
High school in town	Bow High School	Middlebury Union High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.8Highest	12.6Lowest
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.