What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Lyme has the most expensive homes ($645k 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	Fairlee	Lyme
People
Population	1,066Lowest	1,710Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+1.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	56.2±8.7Highest 44% above U.S.	48.6±7.8Lowest 25% above U.S.
	Fairlee and Lyme 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%	19.5%±3.4Highest U.S.: 22%
	Lyme and Fairlee 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%	26.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Fairlee and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	46.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	70.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.3%±3.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.3%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Fairlee and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$74,760±$10kLowest 7% below U.S.	$133,906±$15kHighest 66% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$274,200±$39kLowest 18% below U.S.	$645,000±$64kHighest 94% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,083±$242Lowest 23% below U.S.	$1,418±$130Highest about the U.S. average
	Lyme and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,617Lowest 80% above U.S.	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	89.2%±71.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	52.8%±29.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Fairlee and Lyme 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%	4.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	80.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	80.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S.	1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 8% below U.S.	21 minLowest 21% below U.S.
Work from home	15%±7.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	27.2%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Lyme and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Rivendell Interstate School District	Lyme School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.