What stands out worked out from the figures below

West Fairlee has the most affordable homes ($237k median).

Dunbarton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9%).

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	West Fairlee	Dunbarton
People
Population	711Lowest	3,097Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-4.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	50.3±7.6Highest 29% above U.S.	48±3.7Lowest 23% above U.S.
	West Fairlee and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.5%±5.1Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.8%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22%
	Dunbarton and West Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.7%±6.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%	20.4%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	West Fairlee and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	39.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.8%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Dunbarton and West Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$76,500±$16kLowest 5% below U.S.	$124,348±$21kHighest 54% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$237,200±$35kLowest 29% below U.S.	$484,100±$33kHighest 46% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,113±$171Lowest 21% below U.S.	$1,166±$70Highest 17% below U.S.
	Dunbarton and West Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,210Lowest 67% above U.S.	$8,233Highest 164% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	50%±89.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	54.7%±60.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Dunbarton and West Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	95.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Lowest 2 yrs older than U.S.	1990Highest 10 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 7% above U.S.	34 minHighest 27% above U.S.
Work from home	5.5%±5.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	12.6%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dunbarton and West Fairlee 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	—	#33 of 120 in NH
School district	Rivendell Interstate School District	Dunbarton 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.