Compare towns
Hartford vs South Hampton vs Waterbury
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 shortest commute (18 min average).
South Hampton has the most expensive homes ($661k median).
Waterbury has the most people working from home (28.3%).
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 | South Hampton | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,736Highest |
984Lowest |
5,405 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.2±3.9Lowest 11% above U.S. |
45.1±5.3Highest 16% above U.S. |
43.2±3.7Lowest 11% above U.S. |
| South Hampton 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% |
23.3%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
21.9%±4.9 U.S.: 22% |
| South Hampton and Waterbury 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% |
16.5%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±4.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Hartford and Waterbury 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% |
52.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
54.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±2.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Hartford and Waterbury 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. |
$152,500±$44kHighest 89% above U.S. |
$103,917±$23k 29% above U.S. |
| South Hampton and Waterbury 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. |
$661,100±$45kHighest 99% above U.S. |
$447,200±$40k 34% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,218±$118 14% below U.S. |
$1,889±$489Highest 34% above U.S. |
$1,027±$535Lowest 27% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,773Lowest 85% above U.S. |
$9,109Highest 192% above U.S. |
$6,435 106% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±12.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
30%±40.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.8%±21.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Waterbury 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% |
3.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
28 min 7% above U.S. |
30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 13.9%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17%±3.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
28.3%±6.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #34 of 70 in VT | — | #20 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Hartford School District | South Hampton School District | Harwood Unified Union School District #60 |
| High school in town | Hartford High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.6 |
— | — |
| 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.