What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hartford has the most affordable homes ($305k median).

Hopkinton has the highest household income ($137k).

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	Hopkinton
People
Population	10,736Highest	6,037Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+7.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+5.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.2±3.9Lowest 11% above U.S.	45±2.8Highest 16% above U.S.
	Hopkinton and Hartford 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%	18.8%±4.1Highest U.S.: 22%
	Hopkinton and Hartford 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%	19.9%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Hartford and Hopkinton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	47.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	58.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.9%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	7.9%±4.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hopkinton 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.	$137,477±$21kHighest 70% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$304,500±$26kLowest 8% below U.S.	$506,900±$54kHighest 52% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,218±$118Lowest 14% below U.S.	$1,270±$129Highest 10% below U.S.
	Hopkinton and Hartford 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.	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±12.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%	42.4%±6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Hartford and Hopkinton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	6.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	87.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.	1968Lowest 12 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	18 minLowest 30% below U.S.	22 minHighest 16% below U.S.
Work from home	13.9%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	23.8%±8.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Hopkinton 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	#28 of 120 in NH
School district	Hartford School District	Hopkinton School District
High school in town	Hartford High School	Hopkinton High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.6Lowest	12.0Highest
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.