What stands out worked out from the figures below

Ira has the most expensive homes ($273k median).

Sheffield has the most people working from home (8.6%).

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	Ira	Sheffield
People
Population	381Highest	190Lowest
Median age	54.1±5.5Highest 26% above VT	32.5±2.3Lowest 25% below VT
Kids under 18	10.5%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9%	34.7%±13.7Highest VT: 17.9%
Age 65+	28.9%±3.3Highest VT: 21.4%	13.2%±14Lowest VT: 21.4%
	Ira and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.1%Highest VT: 43.8%	16.5%Lowest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±3.5Highest VT: 7%	2.1%±5.8Lowest VT: 7%
	Ira and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$71,827±$5kHighest 12% below VT	$65,795±$12kLowest 19% below VT
	Ira and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$272,900±$18kHighest 14% below VT	$122,700±$70kLowest 61% below VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$942±$52Lowest 24% below VT	$1,219±$563Highest about the VT average
	Sheffield and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,146Highest 18% below VT	$1,714Lowest 66% below VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	36.4%±100 VT: 48.4%	36.4%±100 VT: 48.4%
Below poverty line	14.4%Highest VT: 10.1%	8.9%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.7%Highest VT: 73.2%	85.3%Lowest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Highest 1 yr older than VT	1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minHighest 20% above VT	21 minLowest 12% below VT
Work from home	2.3%±2.2Lowest VT: 16.9%	8.6%±6.3Highest VT: 16.9%
	Sheffield and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

VT 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.