What stands out worked out from the figures below

Chester has the oldest population (median age 49.7).

Williamson has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.8%).

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	Chester	Williamson
People
Population	2,992Lowest	6,823Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-4.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-1.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	49.7±4.7Highest 28% above U.S.	40.9±4.2Lowest 5% above U.S.
	Chester and Williamson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.1%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.6%±3.3Highest U.S.: 22%
	Williamson and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.8%±7.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%	20.7%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Chester and Williamson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	34.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±4Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.5%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Chester and Williamson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$62,125±$8kLowest 23% below U.S.	$90,515±$14kHighest 12% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$232,900±$44kHighest 30% below U.S.	$192,700±$18kLowest 42% below U.S.
	Chester and Williamson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$960±$44Highest 32% below U.S.	$659±$304Lowest 53% below U.S.
	Chester and Williamson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,262Lowest 37% above U.S.	$5,172Highest 66% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	11.5%±12.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	25.1%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Williamson and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Highest 8 yrs older than U.S.	1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minHighest 5% above U.S.	25 minLowest 7% below U.S.
Work from home	14%±6.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.2%±6.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Williamson and Chester 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	#49 of 70 in VT	#221 of 484 in NY
School district	Green Mountain Unified School District #77	WILLIAMSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	Green Mountain Union High School	WILLIAMSON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	8.7Highest	8.3Lowest
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.