What stands out worked out from the figures below

Grafton has the most affordable homes ($343k median).

Strafford has the most kids (23% under 18).

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	Grafton	Strafford
People
Population	666Lowest	1,372Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5%Lowest VT: +2.8%	-0.4%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	59.2±4.4Highest 37% above VT	51.4±4.7Lowest 19% above VT
	Grafton and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	5.9%±3.7Lowest VT: 17.9%	23%±5.2Highest VT: 17.9%
Age 65+	34.2%±2Highest VT: 21.4%	22.1%±3.4Lowest VT: 21.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.4%Lowest VT: 43.8%	53.3%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	7.1%±5Highest VT: 7%	5.1%±2.6Lowest VT: 7%
	Grafton and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$76,111±$7kLowest 6% below VT	$110,833±$19kHighest 36% above VT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$343,200±$85kLowest 8% above VT	$431,300±$40kHighest 36% above VT
	Strafford and Grafton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,288±$174Highest 4% above VT	$1,125±$789Lowest 9% below VT
	Grafton and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,843Lowest 4% below VT	$7,149Highest 42% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53.8%±69.4Highest VT: 48.4%	44.6%±48Lowest VT: 48.4%
	Grafton and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1%	5.2%Highest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.9%Highest VT: 73.2%	88.9%Lowest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Lowest 2 yrs newer than VT	1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 4% above VT	23 minLowest about the VT average
Work from home	15.8%±5.4Lowest VT: 16.9%	16.1%±4.3Highest VT: 16.9%
	Strafford and Grafton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Athens Grafton School District	Strafford School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.