What stands out worked out from the figures below

Orford has the most affordable homes ($272k median).

Stowe has grown the fastest since 2010 (+21.1%).

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	Orford	Stowe
People
Population	1,295Lowest	5,285Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	0%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+21.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	48.9±3.3Highest 26% above U.S.	46.3±7.6Lowest 19% above U.S.
	Orford and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.3%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22%	22.5%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	25.5%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	25.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Stowe and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	66.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%	1.6%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Orford and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$92,571±$24kLowest 15% above U.S.	$93,618±$33kHighest 16% above U.S.
	Stowe and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$271,900±$25kLowest 18% below U.S.	$647,800±$157kHighest 95% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,263±$686Lowest 11% below U.S.	$1,458±$242Highest 3% above U.S.
	Stowe and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,836Lowest 87% above U.S.	$7,161Highest 130% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.8%±10.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%	24.5%±15.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Orford and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	9.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	78.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest 3% below U.S.	19 minLowest 27% below U.S.
Work from home	10.8%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	24.4%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Stowe and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Rivendell Interstate School District	Stowe Town School District
High school in town	Rivendell Academy	Stowe High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Lowest	11.3Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.