Compare towns
Meredith vs Williston vs Franklin
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Meredith has the most homeowners (92.2%).
Williston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.2%).
Franklin has the most affordable homes ($227k 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.
| Measure | Meredith | Williston | Franklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,467 |
10,144Highest |
1,251Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54.3±4.6Highest 40% above U.S. |
45.4±4.5Lowest 17% above U.S. |
54.1±6.6 39% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17%±4.3 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.8%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Williston and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.8%±4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
21%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.3%±2.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Meredith and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
33.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±2.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±3.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Williston and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $85,938±$16kLowest 6% above U.S. |
$106,967±$12kHighest 32% above U.S. |
$88,456±$18k 10% above U.S. |
| Williston and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $230,600±$24k 31% below U.S. |
$475,800±$40kHighest 43% above U.S. |
$226,700±$51kLowest 32% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $794±$175 44% below U.S. |
$1,832±$130Highest 30% above U.S. |
$706±$273Lowest 50% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,630 16% above U.S. |
$5,592Highest 79% above U.S. |
$2,515Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.1%±53.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±17.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
25.6%±60.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Meredith and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
89.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 10.1%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.3%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8.5%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #11 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.