Compare towns
Ira vs Sutton vs Benson vs Sandgate
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sutton has the highest household income ($130k).
Benson has the most renters (19.1% rent).
Sandgate has the most people working from home (34.6%).
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.
| Measure | Ira | Sutton | Benson | Sandgate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 381Lowest |
2,239Highest |
784 |
435 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-7.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 54.1±5.5 39% above U.S. |
48.1±4.1Lowest 24% above U.S. |
51.9±9.4 33% above U.S. |
55.7±5.4Highest 43% above U.S. |
| Sandgate 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% |
20.5%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.5%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
13.1%±7.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Sutton and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 28.9%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.6%±5.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
26%±11.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ira and Benson 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% |
44.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
32.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±3.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±3.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.3%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Benson and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $71,827±$5k 11% below U.S. |
$130,313±$31kHighest 61% above U.S. |
$78,625±$8k about the U.S. average |
$69,167±$19kLowest 14% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,900±$18k 18% below U.S. |
$362,600±$16kHighest 9% above U.S. |
$242,000±$26k 27% below U.S. |
$193,800±$31kLowest 42% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $942±$52Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,656±$614Highest 17% above U.S. |
$1,113±$170 21% below U.S. |
— |
| Sutton and Benson 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. |
$7,652Highest 145% above U.S. |
$4,125 32% above U.S. |
$2,778Lowest 11% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36.4%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
27.6%±47.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
53.4%±35.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Benson and Ira 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% |
4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
95.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 6% above U.S. |
29 min 11% above U.S. |
32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
27 minLowest 3% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.6%±5.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
34.6%±32.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Sandgate and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | Kearsarge Regional School District | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | — |
| High school in town | — | Kearsarge Regional High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.4 |
— | — |
| 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.