Compare towns
Rochester vs Cornish vs Dover vs Fairlee
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Rochester has the most people working from home (40.8%).
Cornish has the highest household income ($92k).
Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+60%).
Fairlee has the oldest population (median age 56.2).
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 | Rochester | Cornish | Dover | Fairlee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,389 |
1,816Highest |
1,466 |
1,066Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+60%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 53.3±7.6Lowest 37% above U.S. |
54±8.3 39% above U.S. |
53.5±8.3 38% above U.S. |
56.2±8.7Highest 44% above U.S. |
| Fairlee and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 10.4%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
10.2%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
12.2%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Cornish and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 31.5%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.5%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
33.4%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Fairlee and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
48.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.4%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.5%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±3.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Fairlee and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $72,676±$8k 10% below U.S. |
$91,821±$2kHighest 14% above U.S. |
$52,313±$7kLowest 35% below U.S. |
$74,760±$10k 7% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $253,600±$81kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$296,000±$69k 11% below U.S. |
$332,900±$55kHighest about the U.S. average |
$274,200±$39k 18% below U.S. |
| Dover and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $929±$158 34% below U.S. |
$1,221±$227Highest 14% below U.S. |
$670±$49Lowest 53% below U.S. |
$1,083±$242 23% below U.S. |
| Cornish and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,977Lowest 28% above U.S. |
$5,796Highest 86% above U.S. |
$4,510 45% above U.S. |
$5,617 80% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.4%±27.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
38.1%±17.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
89.2%±71.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Fairlee and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 18.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
14.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
80.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 4% above U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
22 minLowest 17% below U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 40.8%±27.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.2%±11.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
15%±7.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Rochester and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Rochester Stockbridge Unified School District #81 | Cornish School District | River Valleys Unified School District #73 | Rivendell Interstate School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.