Compare towns
Fairlee vs Bethlehem vs Norton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fairlee has the most renters (42.5% rent).
Bethlehem has the most kids (17.7% under 18).
Norton has the most homeowners (100%).
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 | Fairlee | Bethlehem | Norton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 54Lowest |
2,537Highest |
108 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -1.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 63.5±7.6Highest 63% above U.S. |
50.6±8.5Lowest 30% above U.S. |
53.8±6.7 38% above U.S. |
| Fairlee and Norton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 0%±52.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±5.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
13%±21.1 U.S.: 22% |
| Bethlehem and Norton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 37%±54.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
28.2%±5.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
31.5%±15.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Fairlee and Norton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 11.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±26.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.9%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.6%±10.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Norton and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $21,071±$13kLowest 74% below U.S. |
$85,029±$18kHighest 5% above U.S. |
$65,625±$23k 19% below U.S. |
| Bethlehem and Norton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $277,500±$28k 17% below U.S. |
$288,300±$22kHighest 13% below U.S. |
$200,000±$32kLowest 40% below U.S. |
| Bethlehem and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,057±$620Lowest 25% below U.S. |
$1,174±$81Highest 17% below U.S. |
— |
| Bethlehem and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,750 20% above U.S. |
$5,418Highest 74% above U.S. |
$2,769Lowest 11% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±55.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
41.3%±18.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
— |
| Fairlee and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 50%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 57.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
100%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1942Lowest 38 yrs older than U.S. |
1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1974Highest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | — | 20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
39 minHighest 49% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 23.5%±30.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
31.2%±12.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
25.5%±18 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bethlehem and Norton 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 | — | #34 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | — | Bethlehem School District · Profile School District | — |
| High school in town | — | Profile Senior High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.9 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.