Compare towns
Ira vs Meredith vs Castleton vs West Haven
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ira has the most homeowners (90.7%).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
Castleton has the youngest population (median age 38.3).
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 | Ira | Meredith | Castleton | West Haven |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 381 |
6,758Highest |
4,453 |
234Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 54.1±5.5 39% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
38.3±4.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
54±10.5 39% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 10.5%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
18.8%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.5%±13.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Castleton and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 28.9%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.9%±4.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Meredith and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±3.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.4%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $71,827±$5kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$87,019±$19kHighest 8% above U.S. |
$73,854±$23k 9% below U.S. |
$85,250±$29k 6% above U.S. |
| Meredith and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,900±$18k 18% below U.S. |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$224,800±$71kLowest 32% below U.S. |
$245,000±$34k 26% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $942±$52Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,149±$304Highest 19% below U.S. |
$1,137±$195 20% below U.S. |
— |
| Meredith and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,146 33% above U.S. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$3,167Lowest about the U.S. average |
$4,485 44% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36.4%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castleton and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 14.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79% U.S.: 65.2% |
90.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 6% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
25 min 4% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.2%±3.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.4%±6.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #62 of 120 in NH | #39 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | — |
| High school in town | — | Inter-Lakes High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.