What stands out worked out from the figures below

Fletcher has the most kids (19% under 18).

Middlebury has the most people working from home (18.8%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Fletcher	Middlebury
People
Population	1,196Lowest	9,175Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.4%Lowest VT: +2.8%	+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	48.7±7.3Highest 13% above VT	31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT
Kids under 18	19%±4Highest VT: 17.9%	11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9%
Age 65+	21.7%±4Highest VT: 21.4%	20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4%
	Fletcher and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	32.3%Lowest VT: 43.8%	55.4%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.3%±1.9Lowest VT: 7%	32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$105,833±$9kHighest 30% above VT	$86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT
	Fletcher and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$302,100±$37kLowest 5% below VT	$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,679±$427Highest 36% above VT	$1,156±$113Lowest 6% below VT
	Fletcher and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,965Lowest about the VT average	$6,868Highest 36% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	42.1%±78.3Lowest VT: 48.4%	50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4%
	Middlebury and Fletcher are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.8%Lowest VT: 10.1%	10.7%Highest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	96.1%Highest VT: 73.2%	65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1987Highest 11 yrs newer than VT	1976Lowest same as VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 37% above VT	16 minLowest 33% below VT
Work from home	12.3%±7.2Lowest VT: 16.9%	18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9%
	Middlebury and Fletcher 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	Fletcher 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

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.