What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hanover has the most kids (26.1% under 18).

Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).

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	Hanover	Middlebury
People
Population	14,845Highest	9,175Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+7.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.8±1.4Highest 7% above U.S.	31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S.
Kids under 18	26.1%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22%	11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	16.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.7%±2.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Middlebury and Hanover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	56.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	55.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$189,803±$23kHighest 135% above U.S.	$86,169±$16kLowest 7% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$755,400±$39kHighest 127% above U.S.	$409,700±$30kLowest 23% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,845±$341Highest 31% above U.S.	$1,156±$113Lowest 18% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$9,342Highest 200% above U.S.	$6,868Lowest 120% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	65%±23.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%	50.9%±14.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Hanover and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S.	1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 21% above U.S.	16 minLowest 41% below U.S.
Work from home	19.6%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%	18.8%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Hanover and Middlebury 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	#69 of 282 in MA	#17 of 70 in VT
School district	Hanover · South Shore Regional Vocational Technical	Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55
High school in town	South Shore Vocational Technical High	Middlebury Union High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.3Lowest	12.6Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.