Compare towns
Hampton vs Castleton vs Strafford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hampton has the most affordable homes ($167k median).
Castleton has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Strafford has the most people working from home (16.1%).
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 | Hampton | Castleton | Strafford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,145Lowest |
4,453Highest |
1,372 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -8.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±14.7 11% above U.S. |
38.3±4.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S. |
| Strafford and Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.9%±6.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.8%±6.4 U.S.: 22% |
23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Strafford and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Strafford and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $73,796±$8kLowest 9% below U.S. |
$73,854±$23k 9% below U.S. |
$110,833±$19kHighest 37% above U.S. |
| Strafford and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $166,800±$10kLowest 50% below U.S. |
$224,800±$71k 32% below U.S. |
$431,300±$40kHighest 30% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,264±$375Highest 11% below U.S. |
$1,137±$195 20% below U.S. |
$1,125±$789Lowest 20% below U.S. |
| Hampton and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,007Lowest 4% below U.S. |
$3,167 about the U.S. average |
$7,149Highest 129% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13.2%±25.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.6%±48 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castleton and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79% U.S.: 65.2% |
88.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.8%±8.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Strafford and Hampton 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 | — | #39 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Strafford School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.