What stands out worked out from the figures below

Effingham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+15.4%).

Cavendish has the shortest commute (19 min average).

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	Effingham	Cavendish
People
Population	1,912Highest	1,242Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+15.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+1.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	46.9±12.4Highest 21% above U.S.	45.2±5.9Lowest 16% above U.S.
	Effingham and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.5%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22%	18.3%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Effingham and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.7%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	23.6%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	20.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	39.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.1%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.3%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$76,607±$14kLowest 5% below U.S.	$89,063±$29kHighest 10% above U.S.
	Cavendish and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$322,700±$30kHighest 3% below U.S.	$285,100±$40kLowest 14% below U.S.
	Effingham and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,090±$121Highest 23% below U.S.	$1,000±$546Lowest 29% below U.S.
	Effingham and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,163Highest 66% above U.S.	$3,948Lowest 27% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	13.6%±40.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	28.9%±27Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Cavendish and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	6.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	81.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.	1968Lowest 12 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 19% above U.S.	19 minLowest 30% below U.S.
Work from home	16.1%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	18.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Cavendish and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Governor Wentworth Regional School District	Green Mountain Unified School District #77
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	18 photos →

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.