What stands out worked out from the figures below

Brandon has the most people working from home (9.9%).

Gorham has the most affordable homes ($162k median).

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	Brandon	Gorham
People
Population	4,120Highest	2,682Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-5.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	50.1±3.1Lowest 29% above U.S.	53.9±3.6Highest 39% above U.S.
	Gorham and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 22%	12.5%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Brandon and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.3%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	31.7%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Gorham and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	32.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	20.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.5%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.7%±2.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Gorham and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$64,180±$12kHighest 21% below U.S.	$61,275±$7kLowest 24% below U.S.
	Brandon and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$227,800±$23kHighest 32% below U.S.	$161,600±$49kLowest 51% below U.S.
	Brandon and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,064±$225Highest 25% below U.S.	$838±$83Lowest 41% below U.S.
	Brandon and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,241Lowest 36% above U.S.	$4,334Highest 39% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41.7%±15.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%	41%±20.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Brandon and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	71.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S.	1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 10% below U.S.	23 minLowest 14% below U.S.
Work from home	9.9%±5.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	1.7%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#69 of 70 in VT	#57 of 120 in NH
School district	Otter Valley Unified Union School District #53	Gorham Randolph Shelburne Cooperative School District
High school in town	Otter Valley Union High School	Gorham High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.9Highest	9.0Lowest
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.