Compare towns
Cornish vs Plainfield vs Shelburne vs Windsor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the most homeowners (94.1%).
Plainfield has the most kids (23.4% under 18).
Shelburne has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8%).
Windsor has the most affordable homes ($208k 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.
| Measure | Cornish | Plainfield | Shelburne | Windsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
2,522 |
7,969Highest |
3,554 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
38.9±6.5Lowest about the U.S. average |
50.9±3.2 31% above U.S. |
44.8±6.5 15% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.2%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
19.5%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Plainfield and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.2%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.7%±6.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Windsor and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
70.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
39.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.7%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.7%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Plainfield and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$122,656±$13kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$115,963±$16k 44% above U.S. |
$52,484±$11kLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Plainfield and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69k 11% below U.S. |
$442,400±$47k 33% above U.S. |
$588,100±$44kHighest 77% above U.S. |
$207,500±$31kLowest 38% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227 14% below U.S. |
$1,674±$181Highest 18% above U.S. |
$1,442±$589 about the U.S. average |
$1,026±$89Lowest 27% below U.S. |
| Plainfield and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796 86% above U.S. |
$7,904 153% above U.S. |
$8,173Highest 162% above U.S. |
$5,209Lowest 67% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
31.8%±23.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
43.7%±10.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.5%±17Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Shelburne and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
57.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
22 min 17% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.1%±8.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
31.4%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.3%±5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Shelburne and Plainfield 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 | — | #19 of 120 in NH | #8 of 70 in VT | #61 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Cornish School District | Plainfield School District | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | 12 photos → |
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.



