What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Orwell has the most expensive homes ($336k 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	Orwell
People
Population	2,965Highest	1,294Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3%Lowest VT: +2.8%	-0.9%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	47.1±7.4Lowest 9% above VT	47.5±7Highest 10% above VT
	Orwell and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	15.8%±4.4Lowest VT: 17.9%	21.8%±5.4Highest VT: 17.9%
	Orwell and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27%±5.9Highest VT: 21.4%	24%±3.1Lowest VT: 21.4%
	Hardwick and Orwell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.7%Highest VT: 43.8%	22.1%Lowest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.4%±2.4Lowest VT: 7%	3.6%±1.9Highest VT: 7%
	Orwell 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 VT	$70,417±$22kLowest 13% below VT
	Hardwick and Orwell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$184,700±$39kLowest 42% below VT	$335,600±$25kHighest 6% above VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$875±$406Lowest 29% below VT	$1,105±$51Highest 10% below VT
	Orwell and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,351Highest 14% below VT	$3,914Lowest 22% below VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.6%±41.3Lowest VT: 48.4%	62.1%±35.9Highest VT: 48.4%
	Orwell and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	9.7%Lowest VT: 10.1%	10.8%Highest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	76.4%Lowest VT: 73.2%	87.3%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1962Lowest 14 yrs older than VT	1982Highest 6 yrs newer than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minHighest 23% above VT	27 minLowest 15% above VT
Work from home	11.8%±6Lowest VT: 16.9%	13.3%±7.2Highest VT: 16.9%
	Orwell 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	—
School district	Mountain View Union Elementary School District #94 · Hazen Union High School District #26	Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62
High school in town	Hazen Union High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	8.6	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.