What stands out worked out from the figures below

Monroe has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.6%).

Fairlee has the most people working from home (15%).

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	Monroe	Fairlee
People
Population	786Lowest	1,066Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+1.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51±10.4Lowest 31% above U.S.	56.2±8.7Highest 44% above U.S.
	Fairlee and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.9%±7.6Highest U.S.: 22%	12.2%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Monroe and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	30.3%±8.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	33.4%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Fairlee and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	25.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	46.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.1%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.3%±3.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Fairlee and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$88,150±$7kHighest 9% above U.S.	$74,760±$10kLowest 7% below U.S.
	Monroe and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$312,700±$58kHighest 6% below U.S.	$274,200±$39kLowest 18% below U.S.
	Monroe and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,104±$218Highest 22% below U.S.	$1,083±$242Lowest 23% below U.S.
	Monroe and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,661Lowest 15% below U.S.	$5,617Highest 80% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48%±39Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	89.2%±71.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Fairlee and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	14.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	80.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S.	1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minHighest 4% above U.S.	24 minLowest 8% below U.S.
Work from home	3.2%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	15%±7.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
School district	Monroe School District	Rivendell Interstate School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.