Compare towns
Fairfax vs Guildhall vs Lancaster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fairfax has the most people working from home (26.7%).
Guildhall has the most homeowners (93.7%).
Lancaster has the most affordable homes ($216k 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.
| Measure | Fairfax | Guildhall | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,226Highest |
371Lowest |
3,216 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +17%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | -8.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.8±3.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
42.6±7.8 10% above U.S. |
45.5±6.9Highest 17% above U.S. |
| Lancaster and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 24%±5.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
22.6%±7.5 U.S.: 22% |
20.9%±6.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Fairfax and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 12.5%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.1%±5.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
28.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Lancaster and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
33.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
30.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Fairfax and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $128,963±$29kHighest 60% above U.S. |
$115,000±$46k 42% above U.S. |
$68,911±$23kLowest 15% below U.S. |
| Fairfax and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $378,200±$22kHighest 14% above U.S. |
$321,200±$62k 3% below U.S. |
$215,700±$24kLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Fairfax and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,080±$131Highest 24% below U.S. |
$850±$717Lowest 40% below U.S. |
$1,019±$263 28% below U.S. |
| Fairfax and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,497Highest 76% above U.S. |
$4,625 48% above U.S. |
$4,226Lowest 35% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.3%±33.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
75%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
36.1%±17Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Guildhall and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
16.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
93.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1994Highest 14 yrs newer than U.S. |
1958 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1942Lowest 38 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
25 min 5% below U.S. |
23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 26.7%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.5%±6.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #36 of 70 in VT | — | #107 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Fairfax School District | — | White Mountains Regional School District |
| High school in town | Bellows Free Academy Middle/High School (Fairfax) | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.