Compare towns
Orleans vs Salisbury vs Mendon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orleans has the most affordable homes ($156k median).
Mendon has the most people working from home (22.5%).
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 | Orleans | Salisbury | Mendon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 809Lowest |
1,200Highest |
1,113 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.5% VT: +2.8% |
+8.5%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 41.7±5.8Lowest 3% below VT |
50.6±6.5 17% above VT |
53.4±10.5Highest 24% above VT |
| Mendon and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.9%±4.5Highest VT: 17.9% |
16.6%±3.2 VT: 17.9% |
14.6%±5.2Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Orleans and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±3.2Lowest VT: 21.4% |
30.4%±2.9Highest VT: 21.4% |
29%±1.3 VT: 21.4% |
| Salisbury and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.8%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
34.6% VT: 43.8% |
49.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.1Highest VT: 7% |
1.6%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
3.1%±2.1 VT: 7% |
| Orleans and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $57,159±$10kLowest 30% below VT |
$99,688±$21k 23% above VT |
$100,524±$23kHighest 24% above VT |
| Mendon and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $156,300±$18kLowest 51% below VT |
$306,900±$51k 3% below VT |
$357,000±$44kHighest 13% above VT |
| Mendon and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $810±$94Lowest 34% below VT |
$1,443±$984Highest 17% above VT |
$1,230±$651 about the VT average |
| Salisbury and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,019Lowest 40% below VT |
$4,842 4% below VT |
$5,342Highest 6% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.3%±17.2Lowest VT: 48.4% |
31.9%±22.6 VT: 48.4% |
88.6%±42.7Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Mendon and Salisbury 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% |
4.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
8.2%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
88.7% VT: 73.2% |
92.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1967 9 yrs older than VT |
1977Highest 1 yr newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 33% above VT |
19 min 20% below VT |
17 minLowest 28% below VT |
| Work from home | 8.3%±3.7 VT: 16.9% |
6%±2.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
22.5%±8.9Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.

