What stands out worked out from the figures below

Cornish has the most affordable homes ($296k 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	Cornish	Stowe
People
Population	1,816Lowest	5,285Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+21.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S.	46.3±7.6Lowest 19% above U.S.
	Cornish and Stowe 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%	22.5%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	27.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%	25.8%±6.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Cornish and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	66.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	1.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Stowe and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,821±$2kLowest 14% above U.S.	$93,618±$33kHighest 16% above U.S.
	Stowe and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$296,000±$69kLowest 11% below U.S.	$647,800±$157kHighest 95% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,221±$227Lowest 14% below U.S.	$1,458±$242Highest 3% above U.S.
	Stowe and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,796Lowest 86% above U.S.	$7,161Highest 130% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.5%±38.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%	24.5%±15.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Cornish and Stowe 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%	9.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	78.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Lowest same as U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 8% below U.S.	19 minLowest 27% below U.S.
Work from home	12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	24.4%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Stowe and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Cornish School District	Stowe Town School District
High school in town	None in town	Stowe High School
Students per teacherat that high school	—	11.3
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.