Compare towns
Starks vs Windsor vs Mercer
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k median).
Windsor has the most renters (48.4% rent).
Mercer has the most people working from home (20.5%).
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 | Starks | Windsor | Mercer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 556Lowest |
2,060Highest |
718 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4Highest 20% above U.S. |
44.6±12.3 15% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5Lowest 12% above U.S. |
| Starks and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±8.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±6.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Windsor and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.2%±8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.9%±5.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Windsor and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.2%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.7%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Windsor and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,500±$8k 21% below U.S. |
$51,197±$4kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$71,107±$2kHighest 12% below U.S. |
| Mercer and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,500±$27kLowest 55% below U.S. |
$170,300±$22k 49% below U.S. |
$238,500±$32kHighest 28% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301 25% below U.S. |
$1,002±$107Lowest 29% below U.S. |
$1,422±$249Highest about the U.S. average |
| Mercer and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,348Lowest 57% below U.S. |
$4,878Highest 56% above U.S. |
$1,970 37% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.4%±20 U.S.: 51.1% |
18.5%±74Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Starks and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90% U.S.: 65.2% |
51.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
92.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1987 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
22 minLowest 16% below U.S. |
30 min 15% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.6%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.5%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #61 of 70 in VT | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.