What stands out worked out from the figures below

Orleans has the most affordable homes ($156k median).

Waterville has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.9%).

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	Orleans	Waterville
People
Population	809Highest	680Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8%	+1.9%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	41.7±5.8Lowest 3% below VT	49.1±8.2Highest 14% above VT
	Waterville and Orleans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.9%±4.5Lowest VT: 17.9%	20.4%±8.2Highest VT: 17.9%
	Waterville and Orleans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.7%±3.2Highest VT: 21.4%	14.4%±3.5Lowest VT: 21.4%
	Orleans and Waterville 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%	32.1%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.7%±2.1Lowest VT: 7%	5.3%±3.3Highest VT: 7%
	Waterville and Orleans 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	$71,250±$27kHighest 12% below VT
	Waterville and Orleans 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	$236,300±$15kHighest 25% below VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$810±$94Lowest 34% below VT	$1,110±$93Highest 10% below VT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,019Lowest 40% below VT	$3,957Highest 21% below VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	27.3%±17.2Lowest VT: 48.4%	44.6%±27.2Highest VT: 48.4%
	Waterville and Orleans 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%	4.9%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	64.1%Lowest VT: 73.2%	79.9%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT	1972Highest 4 yrs older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minLowest 33% above VT	38 minHighest 60% above VT
Work from home	8.3%±3.7Lowest VT: 16.9%	8.5%±3Highest VT: 16.9%
	Waterville and Orleans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	—	Lamoille North Modified Union School District #058A
High school in town	—	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.