What stands out worked out from the figures below

Randolph has the most kids (17.3% under 18).

Sunapee has the most expensive homes ($393k median).

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	Randolph	Sunapee
People
Population	4,843Highest	3,416Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	40.4±7.4Lowest 4% above U.S.	56.7±1.4Highest 46% above U.S.
Kids under 18	17.3%±4.4Highest U.S.: 22%	9.9%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Randolph and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.9%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	33.3%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Sunapee and Randolph are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	50.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	11.2%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.5%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$76,758±$6kLowest 5% below U.S.	$101,393±$20kHighest 26% above U.S.
	Sunapee and Randolph are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$278,700±$38kLowest 16% below U.S.	$393,000±$51kHighest 18% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,172±$173Lowest 17% below U.S.	$1,713±$451Highest 21% above U.S.
	Sunapee and Randolph are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,698Highest 51% above U.S.	$4,400Lowest 41% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	54.1%±17.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%	34.6%±10.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Randolph and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	12.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	75.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.	1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 22% below U.S.	33 minHighest 24% above U.S.
Work from home	12.9%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	9.5%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Randolph and Sunapee 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	#55 of 70 in VT	#14 of 120 in NH
School district	Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59	Sunapee School District
High school in town	Randolph Union High School	Sunapee Sr. High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.4Lowest	11.9Highest
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.