Compare towns
Stowe vs Shelburne vs Meredith
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Stowe has grown the fastest since 2010 (+21.1%).
Shelburne has the most people working from home (31.4%).
Meredith has the most affordable homes ($480k 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.
| Measure | Stowe | Shelburne | Meredith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,285Lowest |
7,969Highest |
6,758 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +21.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.3±7.6Lowest 19% above U.S. |
50.9±3.2 31% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.5%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.2%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Stowe and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.8%±6.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.2%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Meredith and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 66.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
70.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.6%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.7%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Shelburne and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $93,618±$33k 16% above U.S. |
$115,963±$16kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
| Shelburne and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $647,800±$157kHighest 95% above U.S. |
$588,100±$44k 77% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48kLowest 44% above U.S. |
| Stowe and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,458±$242Highest 3% above U.S. |
$1,442±$589 about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Stowe and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,161 130% above U.S. |
$8,173Highest 162% above U.S. |
$5,006Lowest 61% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 24.5%±15.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.7%±10.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Meredith and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
20 min 23% below U.S. |
26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 24.4%±8.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
31.4%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Shelburne and Stowe 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 | — | #8 of 70 in VT | #62 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Stowe Town School District | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | Stowe High School | None in town | Inter-Lakes High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
— | 11.1Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.