What stands out worked out from the figures below

Brandon has the most affordable homes ($228k median).

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	Brandon	Stowe
People
Population	4,120Lowest	5,285Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.1%Lowest VT: +2.8%	+21.1%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	50.1±3.1Highest 16% above VT	46.3±7.6Lowest 7% above VT
	Brandon and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.2%±4.3Lowest VT: 17.9%	22.5%±4.6Highest VT: 17.9%
	Stowe and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.3%±4.1Lowest VT: 21.4%	25.8%±6.2Highest VT: 21.4%
	Stowe 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%Lowest VT: 43.8%	66.7%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.5%±1.7Highest VT: 7%	1.6%±1.6Lowest VT: 7%
	Brandon and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$64,180±$12kLowest 21% below VT	$93,618±$33kHighest 15% above VT
	Stowe and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$227,800±$23kLowest 28% below VT	$647,800±$157kHighest 105% above VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,064±$225Lowest 14% below VT	$1,458±$242Highest 18% above VT
	Stowe and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,241Lowest 16% below VT	$7,161Highest 42% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41.7%±15.1Highest VT: 48.4%	24.5%±15.9Lowest VT: 48.4%
	Brandon and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.2%Highest VT: 10.1%	9.9%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.3%Highest VT: 73.2%	78.6%Lowest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1951Lowest 25 yrs older than VT	1982Highest 6 yrs newer than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest about the VT average	19 minLowest 18% below VT
Work from home	9.9%±5.7Lowest VT: 16.9%	24.4%±8.9Highest VT: 16.9%
	Stowe and Brandon 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	#69 of 70 in VT	—
School district	Otter Valley Unified Union School District #53	Stowe Town School District
High school in town	Otter Valley Union High School	Stowe High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.9Lowest	11.3Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

VT 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.