Compare towns
Fairlee vs Middlebury vs Fairlee
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fairlee has the most homeowners (80.9%).
Middlebury has the most expensive homes ($410k median).
Fairlee has the most people working from home (23.5%).
Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Middlebury | Fairlee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,066 |
9,175Highest |
54Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 56.2±8.7 30% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
63.5±7.6Highest 47% above VT |
| Fairlee and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.2%±4.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9 VT: 17.9% |
0%±52.4Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Fairlee and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 33.4%±5.2 VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
37%±54.9Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Fairlee and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.5% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
11.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±3.7 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
0%±26.2Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,760±$10k 8% below VT |
$86,169±$16kHighest 6% above VT |
$21,071±$13kLowest 74% below VT |
| Middlebury 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±$39kLowest 13% below VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$277,500±$28k 12% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,083±$242 12% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
$1,057±$620Lowest 14% below VT |
| Middlebury and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,617 11% above VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$3,750Lowest 26% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 89.2%±71.3 VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
100%±55.5Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Fairlee and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.7% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
50%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1% VT: 73.2% |
57.5%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972 4 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
1942Lowest 34 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 3% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
— |
| Work from home | 15%±7.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
23.5%±30.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Fairlee and Middlebury 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 | — | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Rivendell Interstate School District | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.6 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
VT 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.