What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hancock has the most kids (17.2% under 18).

Wilder has the most expensive homes ($273k median).

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	Hancock	Wilder
People
Population	435Lowest	3,087Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+81.7% VT: +2.8%
Median age	33.8±11.6Lowest 22% below VT	45.5±8.9Highest 6% above VT
	Wilder and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.2%±5.8Highest VT: 17.9%	11.8%±4.1Lowest VT: 17.9%
	Hancock and Wilder are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.8%±3.6Lowest VT: 21.4%	27.3%±4.4Highest VT: 21.4%
	Wilder and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	34.3%Lowest VT: 43.8%	60.2%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.7%±3.6Lowest VT: 7%	8.1%±3.9Highest VT: 7%
	Wilder 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±$34kHighest 6% below VT	$75,143±$9kLowest 7% below VT
	Hancock and Wilder 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	$273,200±$18kHighest 14% below VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$939±$19Lowest 24% below VT	$1,142±$451Highest 7% below VT
	Wilder and Hancock 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	$5,505Highest 9% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	3.5%±16.9Lowest VT: 48.4%	39.9%±17.2Highest VT: 48.4%
Below poverty line	5.6%Lowest VT: 10.1%	9.3%Highest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	59.5%Lowest VT: 73.2%	62.9%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Lowest 4 yrs older than VT	1983Highest 7 yrs newer than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minHighest 17% above VT	17 minLowest 29% below VT
Work from home	11.7%±5Lowest VT: 16.9%	12.6%±6.7Highest VT: 16.9%
	Wilder and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
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.