What stands out worked out from the figures below

Vernon has the most renters (46.8% rent).

Durham has the highest household income ($159k).

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	Vernon	Durham
People
Population	30,577Highest	7,208Lowest
Median age	39.4±2.5Lowest 4% below CT	45.5±2.8Highest 11% above CT
Kids under 18	16.9%±2Highest CT: 20.2%	16.4%±3.6Lowest CT: 20.2%
	Vernon and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.6%±1.7Highest CT: 18.5%	17.4%±3.7Lowest CT: 18.5%
	Vernon and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	38%Lowest CT: 42.5%	47.9%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	7.8%±1.2Highest CT: 7.1%	3.6%±1.5Lowest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$85,356±$6kLowest 11% below CT	$158,857±$7kHighest 66% above CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$275,500±$11kLowest 25% below CT	$424,800±$23kHighest 16% above CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,425±$77Highest 4% below CT	$1,154±$448Lowest 22% below CT
	Vernon and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,804Lowest 13% below CT	$7,998Highest 20% above CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39.3%±5.7Lowest CT: 52.6%	44.9%±28.4Highest CT: 52.6%
	Durham and Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.4%Highest CT: 10%	3.4%Lowest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	53.2%Lowest CT: 66.5%	93.2%Highest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1968Lowest 1 yr newer than CT	1976Highest 9 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minHighest about the CT average	23 minLowest 13% below CT
Work from home	13.4%±2.5Lowest CT: 16%	20.5%±6.4Highest CT: 16%
	Durham and Vernon 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	#107 of 149 in CT	#88 of 149 in CT
School district	Vernon School District	Regional School District 13
High school in town	Rockville High School	Coginchaug Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.1Highest	8.9Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

CT 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.