Compare towns
Mendon vs Waterbury vs Strafford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mendon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
Waterbury has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Strafford has the highest household income ($111k).
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 | Mendon | Waterbury | Strafford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,113Lowest |
5,405Highest |
1,372 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+5.3% VT: +2.8% |
-0.4%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 53.4±10.5Highest 24% above VT |
43.2±3.7Lowest about the VT average |
51.4±4.7 19% above VT |
| Mendon and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.6%±5.2Lowest VT: 17.9% |
21.9%±4.9 VT: 17.9% |
23%±5.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Strafford and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29%±1.3Highest VT: 21.4% |
19.8%±4.4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
22.1%±3.4 VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.4%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
54.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
53.3% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.1%±2.1Lowest VT: 7% |
3.4%±2.8 VT: 7% |
5.1%±2.6Highest VT: 7% |
| Strafford and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $100,524±$23kLowest 24% above VT |
$103,917±$23k 28% above VT |
$110,833±$19kHighest 36% above VT |
| Strafford and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $357,000±$44kLowest 13% above VT |
$447,200±$40kHighest 41% above VT |
$431,300±$40k 36% above VT |
| Waterbury and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,230±$651Highest about the VT average |
$1,027±$535Lowest 17% below VT |
$1,125±$789 9% below VT |
| Mendon and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,342Lowest 6% above VT |
$6,435 28% above VT |
$7,149Highest 42% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 88.6%±42.7Highest VT: 48.4% |
46.8%±21.7 VT: 48.4% |
44.6%±48Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Mendon and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.2%Highest VT: 10.1% |
7.9% VT: 10.1% |
5.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
70.6%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
88.9% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest 1 yr newer than VT |
1983Highest 7 yrs newer than VT |
1980 4 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 28% below VT |
30 minHighest 28% above VT |
23 min about the VT average |
| Work from home | 22.5%±8.9 VT: 16.9% |
28.3%±6.8Highest VT: 16.9% |
16.1%±4.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Waterbury and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #20 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Harwood Unified Union School District #60 | Strafford School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.