Compare towns
Fairlee vs Bennington vs Orford
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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.1%).
Bennington has the most kids (17.7% under 18).
Orford has the highest household income ($93k).
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 | Bennington | Orford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,066Lowest |
15,249Highest |
1,295 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
0% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 56.2±8.7Highest 44% above U.S. |
44.7±2.3Lowest 15% above U.S. |
48.9±3.3 26% above U.S. |
| Fairlee and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.2%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.3%±3.1 U.S.: 22% |
| Bennington and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 33.4%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Fairlee and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
44% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±3.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bennington and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,760±$10k 7% below U.S. |
$59,446±$7kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$92,571±$24kHighest 15% above U.S. |
| Orford and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,200±$39kHighest 18% below U.S. |
$213,300±$15kLowest 36% below U.S. |
$271,900±$25k 18% below U.S. |
| Fairlee and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,083±$242Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,133±$63 20% below U.S. |
$1,263±$686Highest 11% below U.S. |
| Orford and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,617 80% above U.S. |
$4,513Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$5,836Highest 87% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 89.2%±71.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
68.8%±14.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
37.8%±10.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Fairlee and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972Highest 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 8% below U.S. |
17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
26 minHighest 3% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15%±7.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
15.1%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.8%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bennington and Fairlee 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 | — | #58 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Rivendell Interstate School District | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Rivendell Interstate School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | Rivendell Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.7Highest |
9.5Lowest |
| 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.