Compare towns
Hartford vs Nottingham vs Essex Junction
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hartford has the most affordable homes ($305k median).
Nottingham has the most homeowners (94.3%).
Essex Junction has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.2%).
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.
| Measure | Hartford | Nottingham | Essex Junction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,736 |
5,357Lowest |
10,803Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+14.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.2±3.9Highest 11% above U.S. |
38.8±6.7Lowest about the U.S. average |
39.3±3.1 about the U.S. average |
| Hartford and Essex Junction 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% |
23.9%±5.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.6%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Nottingham and Essex Junction 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% |
18.4%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
14.9%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Hartford and Nottingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
40.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
52.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.9%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.7%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Essex Junction and Nottingham 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. |
$122,201±$20kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$89,257±$16k 11% above U.S. |
| Nottingham and Essex Junction 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. |
$457,500±$26kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$407,500±$20k 22% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,218±$118Lowest 14% below U.S. |
$2,068±$1kHighest 46% above U.S. |
$1,544±$135 9% above U.S. |
| Nottingham and Essex Junction 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. |
$7,319Highest 135% above U.S. |
$6,797 118% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±12.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
92.1%±44.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
61.3%±14.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Nottingham and Essex Junction 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% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
59.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1992Highest 12 yrs newer than U.S. |
1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
34 minHighest 28% above U.S. |
19 min 27% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 13.9%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.2%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.9%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Nottingham and Essex Junction 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 | #15 of 120 in NH | #14 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Hartford School District | Nottingham School District | Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 |
| High school in town | Hartford High School | None in town | Essex High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.6Lowest |
— | 11.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.