Compare towns

Cornwall vs Exeter vs Middlebury vs Ripton

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%).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Ripton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+25.7%).
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.

MeasureCornwallExeterMiddleburyRipton
People
Population
1,208
16,151Highest
9,175
508Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+1.9%Lowest
U.S.: +7.4%
+12.2%
U.S.: +7.4%
+7.7%
U.S.: +7.4%
+25.7%Highest
U.S.: +7.4%
Median age
50.4±4.6Highest
30% above U.S.
45.8±2.3
18% above U.S.
31.8±3.7Lowest
18% below U.S.
47.7±14.2
23% above U.S.
Cornwall and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18
18.7%±3Highest
U.S.: 22%
17%±2.7
U.S.: 22%
11.6%±1.9Lowest
U.S.: 22%
11.8%±6.3
U.S.: 22%
Cornwall and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
25.7%±6.1
U.S.: 17.2%
24.4%±2.8
U.S.: 17.2%
20.7%±2.6Lowest
U.S.: 17.2%
30.5%±7.1Highest
U.S.: 17.2%
Ripton and Cornwall 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%
59.2%Highest
U.S.: 35.7%
55.4%
U.S.: 35.7%
48%Lowest
U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
3.7%±3.1Lowest
U.S.: 6.4%
6.1%±1.8
U.S.: 6.4%
32.6%±1.1Highest
U.S.: 6.4%
20.1%±6.3
U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$114,583±$32kHighest
42% above U.S.
$110,346±$13k
37% above U.S.
$86,169±$16kLowest
7% above U.S.
$112,917±$15k
40% above U.S.
Cornwall and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$458,000±$49kHighest
38% above U.S.
$456,600±$21k
37% above U.S.
$409,700±$30k
23% above U.S.
$394,400±$61kLowest
19% above U.S.
Cornwall and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,125±$206Lowest
20% below U.S.
$1,856±$223Highest
31% above U.S.
$1,156±$113
18% below U.S.
—
Property taxmedian, yearly
$6,726
116% above U.S.
$8,814Highest
183% above U.S.
$6,868
120% above U.S.
$4,915Lowest
58% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
61.9%±65.5Highest
U.S.: 51.1%
59%±11.3
U.S.: 51.1%
50.9%±14.4Lowest
U.S.: 51.1%
52.9%±100
U.S.: 51.1%
Cornwall and Exeter 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%
4.7%
U.S.: 12.5%
10.7%Highest
U.S.: 12.5%
8.6%
U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
94.3%Highest
U.S.: 65.2%
69.1%
U.S.: 65.2%
65.1%Lowest
U.S.: 65.2%
90.9%
U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
1976
4 yrs older than U.S.
1979Highest
1 yr older than U.S.
1976
4 yrs older than U.S.
1973Lowest
7 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
24 min
11% below U.S.
25 minHighest
6% below U.S.
16 minLowest
41% below U.S.
24 min
9% below U.S.
Work from home
24.4%±6.6Highest
U.S.: 15.1%
19.9%±3.7
U.S.: 15.1%
18.8%±4.1
U.S.: 15.1%
17.2%±8.7Lowest
U.S.: 15.1%
Cornwall and Exeter 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 — #22 of 120 in NH #17 of 70 in VT —
School district Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 Addison Central Unified Union School District #55
High school in town None in town Exeter High School Middlebury Union High School None in town
Students per teacherat that high school —
12.1Lowest
12.6Highest
—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History None yet 59 photos → 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.