What stands out worked out from the figures below

Vernon has the most renters (46.8% rent).

Stepney has the most homeowners (96.4%).

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	Stepney
People
Population	30,577Highest	3,979Lowest
Median age	39.4±2.5Lowest 4% below CT	47.1±5.6Highest 15% above CT
	Stepney and Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.9%±2Lowest CT: 20.2%	21.1%±5.6Highest CT: 20.2%
	Stepney and Vernon 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%	17.7%±4.1Lowest CT: 18.5%
	Vernon and Stepney 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%	54.2%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	7.8%±1.2Lowest CT: 7.1%	10.1%±5.4Highest CT: 7.1%
	Stepney and Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$85,356±$6kLowest 11% below CT	$153,966±$16kHighest 61% above CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$275,500±$11kLowest 25% below CT	$475,800±$53kHighest 30% above CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,425±$77Lowest 4% below CT	$2,750±$1kHighest 85% above CT
	Stepney and Vernon 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	$9,309Highest 40% above CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39.3%±5.7Lowest CT: 52.6%	63.2%±48.8Highest CT: 52.6%
	Stepney 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%	0.8%Lowest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	53.2%Lowest CT: 66.5%	96.4%Highest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1968Lowest 1 yr newer than CT	1982Highest 15 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minLowest about the CT average	37 minHighest 41% above CT
Work from home	13.4%±2.5Highest CT: 16%	9.8%±4.3Lowest CT: 16%
	Vernon and Stepney 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	—
School district	Vernon School District	—
High school in town	Rockville High School	—
Students per teacherat that high school	12.1	—
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.