What stands out worked out from the figures below

South Hampton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.8%).

Fairlee has the most affordable homes ($274k 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	South Hampton	Fairlee
People
Population	984Lowest	1,066Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+1.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.1±5.3Lowest 16% above U.S.	56.2±8.7Highest 44% above U.S.
	Fairlee and South Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.3%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22%	12.2%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	16.5%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	33.4%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	46.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.7%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.3%±3.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Fairlee and South Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$152,500±$44kHighest 89% above U.S.	$74,760±$10kLowest 7% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$661,100±$45kHighest 99% above U.S.	$274,200±$39kLowest 18% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,889±$489Highest 34% above U.S.	$1,083±$242Lowest 23% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$9,109Highest 192% above U.S.	$5,617Lowest 80% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	30%±40.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	89.2%±71.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Fairlee and South Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	14.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	80.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.	1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minHighest 7% above U.S.	24 minLowest 8% below U.S.
Work from home	17%±3.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%	15%±7.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	South Hampton and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	South Hampton School District	Rivendell Interstate School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.