What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hardwick has the most affordable homes ($185k median).

Lee has the most expensive homes ($353k 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	Hardwick	Lee
People
Population	2,965Lowest	5,719Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-2.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	47.1±7.4Lowest 21% above U.S.	55.2±5.8Highest 42% above U.S.
	Lee and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	15.8%±4.4Highest U.S.: 22%	12.6%±5Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Hardwick and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27%±5.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	33.4%±6.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Lee and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	44.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.4%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Lee and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$92,297±$17kHighest 14% above U.S.	$83,750±$13kLowest 4% above U.S.
	Hardwick and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$184,700±$39kLowest 44% below U.S.	$352,700±$19kHighest 6% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$875±$406Lowest 38% below U.S.	$1,375±$212Highest about the U.S. average
	Lee and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,351Highest 39% above U.S.	$3,980Lowest 28% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.6%±41.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	57.3%±21.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Lee and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	9.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	7.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	76.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	71.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1962Highest 18 yrs older than U.S.	1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minHighest 10% above U.S.	18 minLowest 31% below U.S.
Work from home	11.8%±6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.4%±7.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Lee and Hardwick 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	#68 of 70 in VT	#209 of 282 in MA
School district	Mountain View Union Elementary School District #94 · Hazen Union High School District #26	Lee
High school in town	Hazen Union High School	Lee Middle/High School
Students per teacherat that high school	8.6Lowest	9.2Highest
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.