What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hartford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.4%).

Ashland has the most affordable homes ($227k 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	Hartford	Ashland
People
Population	10,736Highest	2,183Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+7.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-6.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.2±3.9Highest 11% above U.S.	42.3±11.2Lowest 9% above U.S.
	Hartford and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18%±3Lowest U.S.: 22%	21.4%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22%
	Ashland and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.5%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	25.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Ashland and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	47.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	35.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.9%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.7%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hartford and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$78,125±$7kHighest 3% below U.S.	$54,607±$9kLowest 32% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$304,500±$26kHighest 8% below U.S.	$227,000±$29kLowest 32% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,218±$118Highest 14% below U.S.	$1,096±$155Lowest 22% below U.S.
	Hartford and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,773Highest 85% above U.S.	$4,961Lowest 59% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±12.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%	39.1%±14.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Hartford and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	21.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	64.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.	1978Lowest 2 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	18 minLowest 30% below U.S.	26 minHighest about the U.S. average
Work from home	13.9%±3.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	9.9%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Hartford and Ashland 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	#34 of 70 in VT	—
School district	Hartford School District	Ashland School District
High school in town	Hartford High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	9.6	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.