Compare towns
Cornish vs Waterbury vs Wilder
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%).
Waterbury has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Wilder has grown the fastest since 2010 (+81.7%).
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 | Waterbury | Wilder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
5,405Highest |
3,087 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+81.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
43.2±3.7Lowest 11% above U.S. |
45.5±8.9 17% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Wilder are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
21.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.8%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Waterbury and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
60.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±2.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
8.1%±3.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Wilder and Waterbury 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. |
$103,917±$23kHighest 29% above U.S. |
$75,143±$9kLowest 7% below U.S. |
| Waterbury 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±$69k 11% below U.S. |
$447,200±$40kHighest 34% above U.S. |
$273,200±$18kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227Highest 14% below U.S. |
$1,027±$535Lowest 27% below U.S. |
$1,142±$451 19% below U.S. |
| Cornish and Wilder 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. |
$6,435Highest 106% above U.S. |
$5,505Lowest 76% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
46.8%±21.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.9%±17.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Waterbury 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% |
7.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
62.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest same as U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 8% below U.S. |
30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
17 minLowest 37% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
28.3%±6.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.6%±6.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #20 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Cornish School District | Harwood Unified Union School District #60 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.