Compare towns
Cornwall vs Strafford vs Exeter 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%).
Strafford has the most kids (23% under 18).
Exeter has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
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 | Strafford | Exeter | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,208Lowest |
1,372 |
16,151Highest |
9,175 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 50.4±4.6 30% above U.S. |
51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S. |
45.8±2.3 18% 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% |
23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7 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% |
22.1%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cornwall and Exeter 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% |
53.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $114,583±$32kHighest 42% above U.S. |
$110,833±$19k 37% above U.S. |
$110,346±$13k 37% above U.S. |
$86,169±$16kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Cornwall and Strafford 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. |
$431,300±$40k 30% above U.S. |
$456,600±$21k 37% above U.S. |
$409,700±$30kLowest 23% 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. |
$1,125±$789Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S. |
$1,156±$113 18% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,726Lowest 116% above U.S. |
$7,149 129% above U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$6,868 120% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 61.9%±65.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.6%±48Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 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% |
5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 11% below U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
25 minHighest 6% below U.S. |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 24.4%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.1%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1 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 | Strafford School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Exeter High School | Middlebury Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.1Lowest |
12.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.