What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Kingston has the most expensive homes ($493k 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	Kingston
People
Population	10,736Highest	6,275Lowest
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.	55.5±5.7Highest 43% above U.S.
Kids under 18	18%±3Highest U.S.: 22%	13.5%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Hartford and Kingston 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%	24.7%±6Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Kingston 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%	35.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.9%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.6%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hartford and Kingston 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.	$105,330±$12kHighest 30% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$304,500±$26kLowest 8% below U.S.	$492,900±$58kHighest 48% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,218±$118Lowest 14% below U.S.	$1,393±$156Highest about the U.S. average
	Kingston 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.	$7,906Highest 153% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±12.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	46.9%±46.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Kingston and Hartford 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%	2.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	74.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	18 minLowest 30% below U.S.	34 minHighest 29% above U.S.
Work from home	13.9%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	15.7%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Kingston 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	#78 of 120 in NH
School district	Hartford School District	Sanborn Regional School District
High school in town	Hartford High School	Sanborn Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.6Lowest	12.9Highest
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.