What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hartford has the shortest commute (18 min average).

Milford has the most kids (23.7% under 18).

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	Milford
People
Population	10,736Lowest	16,337Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+7.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+6.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.2±3.9Highest 11% above U.S.	36.8±2.5Lowest 5% below U.S.
Kids under 18	18%±3Lowest U.S.: 22%	23.7%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Milford 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%	15.1%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	47.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	37.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.9%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hartford and Milford 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.	$97,768±$14kHighest 21% above U.S.
	Milford 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±$26kLowest 8% below U.S.	$398,800±$20kHighest 20% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,218±$118Lowest 14% below U.S.	$1,661±$126Highest 18% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,773Lowest 85% above U.S.	$7,522Highest 141% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±12.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	49.6%±15.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Milford 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%	3.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	64.9%Lowest 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.	27 minHighest about the U.S. average
Work from home	13.9%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	15.6%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Milford 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	#55 of 120 in NH
School district	Hartford School District	Milford School District
High school in town	Hartford High School	Milford High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.6Lowest	10.7Highest
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.