Compare towns
Cornwall vs Danvers vs Strafford vs Middlebury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornwall has the most people working from home (24.4%).
Danvers has the most expensive homes ($644k median).
Strafford has the most kids (23% under 18).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
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 | Cornwall | Danvers | Strafford | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,208Lowest |
28,098Highest |
1,372 |
9,175 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6% U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 50.4±4.6 30% above U.S. |
45.3±3 16% above U.S. |
51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S. |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
| Strafford and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±3 U.S.: 22% |
17.2%±2 U.S.: 22% |
23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Strafford and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.7%±6.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.6%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cornwall and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 54.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
53.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $114,583±$32k 42% above U.S. |
$125,395±$10kHighest 55% above U.S. |
$110,833±$19k 37% above U.S. |
$86,169±$16kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Danvers and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $458,000±$49k 38% above U.S. |
$644,200±$23kHighest 94% above U.S. |
$431,300±$40k 30% above U.S. |
$409,700±$30kLowest 23% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$206Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$2,076±$192Highest 47% above U.S. |
$1,125±$789Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$1,156±$113 18% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,726 116% above U.S. |
$6,654Lowest 113% above U.S. |
$7,149Highest 129% above U.S. |
$6,868 120% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 61.9%±65.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.8%±8.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
44.6%±48Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Cornwall and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 0.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
88.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 11% below U.S. |
28 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 24.4%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.3%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
16.1%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Cornwall and Danvers 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 | — | #91 of 282 in MA | — | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — | Strafford School District | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | None in town | Middlebury Union High School |
| 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.