Compare towns
Fairlee vs Sutton vs Townshend
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 affordable homes ($274k median).
Sutton has the most kids (20.5% under 18).
Townshend has the most people working from home (28%).
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 | Sutton | Townshend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,066Lowest |
2,239Highest |
1,538 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 56.2±8.7Highest 44% above U.S. |
48.1±4.1Lowest 24% above U.S. |
55.6±9.6 43% above U.S. |
| Fairlee and Townshend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.2%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
12%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 33.4%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.6%±5.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±6.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
52.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±3.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±3.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Fairlee and Sutton 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. |
$130,313±$31kHighest 61% above U.S. |
$78,750±$29k about the U.S. average |
| Sutton and Townshend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,200±$39kLowest 18% below U.S. |
$362,600±$16kHighest 9% above U.S. |
$287,200±$79k 14% below U.S. |
| Sutton and Townshend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,083±$242 23% below U.S. |
$1,656±$614Highest 17% above U.S. |
$1,074±$80Lowest 24% below U.S. |
| Sutton and Fairlee 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. |
$7,652Highest 145% above U.S. |
$5,364Lowest 72% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 89.2%±71.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
27.6%±47.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
72.5%±23.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Fairlee and Townshend 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% |
4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
95.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 8% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
25 min 5% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15%±7.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
28%±18.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Townshend 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 | Kearsarge Regional School District | West River Valley Union Education District #72B · West River Valley Union Education District #72A |
| High school in town | None in town | Kearsarge Regional High School | Leland & Gray Union Middle & High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.4Highest |
8.1Lowest |
| 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.