What stands out worked out from the figures below

Jay has the most expensive homes ($234k median).

Norton has the most affordable homes ($200k median).

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	Jay	Norton
People
Population	471Highest	108Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.8% VT: +2.8%	—
Median age	52.1±10.5Lowest 21% above VT	53.8±6.7Highest 25% above VT
	Norton and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.2%±7.3Highest VT: 17.9%	13%±21.1Lowest VT: 17.9%
	Jay and Norton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.5%±6.3Lowest VT: 21.4%	31.5%±15.8Highest VT: 21.4%
	Norton and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	45.1%Highest VT: 43.8%	28.7%Lowest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.9%±2.5Lowest VT: 7%	4.6%±10.7Highest VT: 7%
	Norton and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$74,792±$25kHighest 8% below VT	$65,625±$23kLowest 19% below VT
	Jay and Norton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$234,200±$45kHighest 26% below VT	$200,000±$32kLowest 37% below VT
	Jay and Norton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,588Highest 29% below VT	$2,769Lowest 45% below VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40%±100 VT: 48.4%	—
Below poverty line	8.7%Lowest VT: 10.1%	13%Highest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	97%Lowest VT: 73.2%	100%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	2001Highest 25 yrs newer than VT	1974Lowest 2 yrs older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	40 minHighest 69% above VT	39 minLowest 68% above VT
Work from home	27.3%±13.7Highest VT: 16.9%	25.5%±18Lowest VT: 16.9%
	Jay and Norton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Jay/Westfield Joint Elementary School District	—
High school in town	None in town	—
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.