What stands out worked out from the figures below

Brandon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.1%).

Waterville has the most people working from home (16.6%).

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	Waterville
People
Population	4,120Lowest	17,077Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	50.1±3.1Highest 29% above U.S.	35.5±2.5Lowest 9% below U.S.
Kids under 18	19.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 22%	14.4%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Brandon and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%	18.3%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Brandon and Waterville 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%	30.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.5%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	18.1%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$64,180±$12kHighest 21% below U.S.	$53,580±$4kLowest 34% below U.S.
	Brandon and Waterville 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.	$184,600±$21kLowest 45% below U.S.
	Brandon and Waterville 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.	$978±$72Lowest 31% below U.S.
	Brandon and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,241Highest 36% above U.S.	$2,755Lowest 12% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41.7%±15.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	50.5%±8.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Waterville and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	20.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	48.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S.	1959Highest 21 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 10% below U.S.	18 minLowest 32% below U.S.
Work from home	9.9%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.6%±5.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Waterville 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	#105 of 133 in ME
School district	Otter Valley Unified Union School District #53	Waterville Public Schools
High school in town	Otter Valley Union High School	Waterville Senior High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.9Lowest	12.8Highest
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.