Compare towns
Amherst vs Middlebury vs Pendleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Amherst has the oldest housing (typical home built 1971).
Middlebury has the most expensive homes ($410k median).
Pendleton has the most homeowners (91.1%).
Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Amherst | Middlebury | Pendleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 130,546Highest |
9,175 |
7,034Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+10%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.1±0.8 about the U.S. average |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
46.7±4.1Highest 20% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19.2%±1 U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.6%±4.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Pendleton and Amherst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
23%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Pendleton and Amherst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
34.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $93,483±$2k 16% above U.S. |
$86,169±$16kLowest 7% above U.S. |
$113,750±$27kHighest 41% above U.S. |
| Pendleton and Amherst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,600±$7k 6% below U.S. |
$409,700±$30kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$294,300±$39kLowest 12% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,393±$45Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,156±$113 18% below U.S. |
$994±$119Lowest 30% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,935Lowest 90% above U.S. |
$6,868Highest 120% above U.S. |
$6,623 112% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
6.6%±17.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Amherst and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
91.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 24% below U.S. |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
23 minHighest 15% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15.9%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.4%±6.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Middlebury and Pendleton 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 | #72 of 484 in NY | #17 of 70 in VT | #67 of 484 in NY |
| School district | AMHERST CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | STARPOINT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | WILLIAMSVILLE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL | Middlebury Union High School | STARPOINT HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Lowest |
12.6 |
14.5Highest |
| 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.