Compare towns
Colrain vs Cornwall vs Middlebury vs Halifax
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Colrain has the oldest housing (typical home built 1963).
Cornwall has the highest household income ($115k).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Halifax has the most kids (25.4% under 18).
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.
| Measure | Colrain | Cornwall | Middlebury | Halifax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,627 |
1,208 |
9,175Highest |
847Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.6±8.7 28% above U.S. |
50.4±4.6Highest 30% above U.S. |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
40.6±13.1 4% above U.S. |
| Cornwall and Colrain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±3 U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
25.4%±5.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Halifax and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 30.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.7%±6.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.6%±7.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Colrain and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±3.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.2%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $80,673±$10k about the U.S. average |
$114,583±$32kHighest 42% above U.S. |
$86,169±$16k 7% above U.S. |
$63,889±$7kLowest 21% below U.S. |
| Cornwall and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $284,300±$14k 15% below U.S. |
$458,000±$49kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$409,700±$30k 23% above U.S. |
$267,500±$21kLowest 20% below U.S. |
| Cornwall and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,102±$77 22% below U.S. |
$1,125±$206 20% below U.S. |
$1,156±$113Highest 18% below U.S. |
$875±$154Lowest 38% below U.S. |
| Middlebury and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,317Lowest 38% above U.S. |
$6,726 116% above U.S. |
$6,868Highest 120% above U.S. |
$4,991 60% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46%±22.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
61.9%±65.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
57.1%±73.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Cornwall and Halifax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 7.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
0.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 27% above U.S. |
24 min 11% below U.S. |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
33 min 23% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.4%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
24.4%±6.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
29.9%±11.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Halifax and Cornwall 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 | — | — | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Mohawk Trail | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Halifax School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.6 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.