What stands out worked out from the figures below

Derby Line has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.1%).

Fairlee has the most expensive homes ($274k median).

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	Derby Line	Fairlee
People
Population	783Lowest	1,066Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.1%Highest VT: +2.8%	+1.1%Lowest VT: +2.8%
Median age	46.7±13.3Lowest 8% above VT	56.2±8.7Highest 30% above VT
	Fairlee and Derby Line are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22.6%±8.2Highest VT: 17.9%	12.2%±4.2Lowest VT: 17.9%
	Derby Line and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.9%±6.6Lowest VT: 21.4%	33.4%±5.2Highest VT: 21.4%
	Fairlee and Derby Line are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.2%Lowest VT: 43.8%	46.5%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±2.3Lowest VT: 7%	5.3%±3.7Highest VT: 7%
	Fairlee and Derby Line are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$71,518±$25kLowest 12% below VT	$74,760±$10kHighest 8% below VT
	Fairlee and Derby Line are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$201,000±$52kLowest 37% below VT	$274,200±$39kHighest 13% below VT
	Fairlee and Derby Line are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$835±$334Lowest 32% below VT	$1,083±$242Highest 12% below VT
	Fairlee and Derby Line are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,275Lowest 35% below VT	$5,617Highest 11% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	35.4%±24.3Lowest VT: 48.4%	89.2%±71.3Highest VT: 48.4%
	Fairlee and Derby Line are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.3%Lowest VT: 10.1%	14.7%Highest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	83%Highest VT: 73.2%	80.9%Lowest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1956Lowest 20 yrs older than VT	1972Highest 4 yrs older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 min 3% above VT	24 min 3% above VT
Work from home	13.5%±9.8Lowest VT: 16.9%	15%±7.9Highest VT: 16.9%
	Fairlee and Derby Line are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	—	Rivendell Interstate School District
High school in town	—	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

VT 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.