What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Canaan has the most affordable homes ($254k 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	Canaan
People
Population	10,736Highest	3,811Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+7.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-2.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.2±3.9Lowest 11% above U.S.	44.4±3.7Highest 14% above U.S.
	Canaan and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18%±3Highest U.S.: 22%	14.7%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Hartford and Canaan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.5%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%	19.1%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Hartford and Canaan 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%	28.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.9%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	7%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Canaan and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$78,125±$7kLowest 3% below U.S.	$81,583±$6kHighest about the U.S. average
	Canaan and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$304,500±$26kHighest 8% below U.S.	$254,000±$26kLowest 24% below U.S.
	Hartford and Canaan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,218±$118Highest 14% below U.S.	$1,140±$90Lowest 19% below U.S.
	Hartford and Canaan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,773Lowest 85% above U.S.	$5,985Highest 92% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±12.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	74.4%±25.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Canaan and Hartford 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%	13.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	77.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.	1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	18 minLowest 30% below U.S.	30 minHighest 14% above U.S.
Work from home	13.9%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	14.9%±6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Canaan and Hartford 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	#83 of 120 in NH
School district	Hartford School District	Mascoma Valley Regional School District
High school in town	Hartford High School	Mascoma Valley Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.6Lowest	10.3Highest
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.