What stands out worked out from the figures below

Fairlee has the most people working from home (15%).

Wilmington has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20.2%).

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	Wilmington
People
Population	1,066Lowest	1,747Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.1%Lowest VT: +2.8%	+20.2%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	56.2±8.7Lowest 30% above VT	59.1±4.8Highest 37% above VT
	Wilmington 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%	9.6%±4Lowest VT: 17.9%
	Fairlee and Wilmington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	33.4%±5.2Highest VT: 21.4%	32.6%±7.1Lowest VT: 21.4%
	Fairlee and Wilmington 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 VT: 43.8%	46.8%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.3%±3.7Highest VT: 7%	1.7%±2.2Lowest VT: 7%
	Fairlee and Wilmington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$74,760±$10kHighest 8% below VT	$70,000±$23kLowest 14% below VT
	Fairlee and Wilmington 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	$287,700±$16kHighest 9% below VT
	Wilmington and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,083±$242Lowest 12% below VT	$1,106±$95Highest 10% below VT
	Wilmington and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,617Highest 11% above VT	$5,299Lowest 5% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	89.2%±71.3Highest VT: 48.4%	40.3%±23Lowest VT: 48.4%
	Fairlee and Wilmington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.7%Highest VT: 10.1%	6.1%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	80.9%Highest VT: 73.2%	74%Lowest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Lowest 4 yrs older than VT	1975Highest 1 yr older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 3% above VT	21 minLowest 9% below VT
Work from home	15%±7.9Highest VT: 16.9%	10.8%±6Lowest VT: 16.9%
	Fairlee and Wilmington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Rivendell Interstate School District	Twin Valley Unified School District #75
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.