Compare towns
Orleans vs Strafford vs Middlebury
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).
Strafford has the most homeowners (88.9%).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Strafford | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 809Lowest |
1,372 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.4% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 41.7±5.8 3% below VT |
51.4±4.7Highest 19% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Strafford and Orleans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.9%±4.5 VT: 17.9% |
23%±5.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Strafford and Orleans 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% |
22.1%±3.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
| Strafford and Middlebury 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% |
53.3% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.1Lowest VT: 7% |
5.1%±2.6 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $57,159±$10kLowest 30% below VT |
$110,833±$19kHighest 36% above VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
| Strafford and Middlebury 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 |
$431,300±$40kHighest 36% above VT |
$409,700±$30k 29% above VT |
| Strafford and Middlebury 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 |
$1,125±$789 9% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
| Middlebury and Strafford 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 |
$7,149Highest 42% above VT |
$6,868 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.3%±17.2Lowest VT: 48.4% |
44.6%±48 VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Middlebury and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.2% VT: 10.1% |
5.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
88.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT |
1976 same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 33% above VT |
23 min about the VT average |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 8.3%±3.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
16.1%±4.3 VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Middlebury and Strafford 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 | — | — | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Strafford School District | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Middlebury Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.6 |
| 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.