Compare towns
Hancock vs Whiting vs Sheldon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hancock has the most affordable homes ($188k median).
Whiting has the highest household income ($91k).
Sheldon has the most homeowners (89%).
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 | Hancock | Whiting | Sheldon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 435Lowest |
532 |
2,267Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | — | -2.5% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 33.8±11.6Lowest 22% below VT |
39.6±2.7 8% below VT |
40.9±3.5Highest 5% below VT |
| Sheldon and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±5.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
23.5%±6.9 VT: 17.9% |
23.7%±3.6Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Sheldon and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±3.6Highest VT: 21.4% |
13%±5.1 VT: 21.4% |
12.6%±2.3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Hancock and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3%Highest VT: 43.8% |
25.9% VT: 43.8% |
14.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±3.6 VT: 7% |
6.2%±4Highest VT: 7% |
2%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
| Whiting and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $76,250±$34kLowest 6% below VT |
$91,250±$38kHighest 12% above VT |
$78,533±$25k 3% below VT |
| Whiting and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $187,900±$11kLowest 41% below VT |
$280,400±$36kHighest 11% below VT |
$272,400±$61k 14% below VT |
| Whiting and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $939±$19Lowest 24% below VT |
$1,204±$519 about the VT average |
$1,286±$379Highest 4% above VT |
| Sheldon and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,511Lowest 30% below VT |
$4,227Highest 16% below VT |
$3,578 29% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 3.5%±16.9 VT: 48.4% |
58.3%±37.3Highest VT: 48.4% |
0%±27Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 5.6% VT: 10.1% |
11.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
5.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.5%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
65.4% VT: 73.2% |
89%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than VT |
1975 1 yr older than VT |
1984Highest 8 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 17% above VT |
22 minLowest 7% below VT |
25 min 7% above VT |
| Work from home | 11.7%±5 VT: 16.9% |
10%±5.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
13%±3.7Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Sheldon and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Otter Valley Unified Union School District #53 | Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.