Compare towns
Arlington vs Everett vs Shaftsbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Arlington has the most people working from home (35.9%).
Everett has grown the fastest since 2010 (+17.8%).
Shaftsbury has the most kids (26.5% under 18).
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 | Arlington | Everett | Shaftsbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,598Lowest |
50,045Highest |
3,607 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+17.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.6±4 3% below U.S. |
35.2±1.5Lowest 10% below U.S. |
43±6.6Highest 11% above U.S. |
| Shaftsbury and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±2.1 U.S.: 22% |
26.5%±6.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Shaftsbury and Everett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
11.3%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.8%±4.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Shaftsbury and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 55.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
24.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.3%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $102,308±$11kHighest 27% above U.S. |
$85,218±$7kLowest 6% above U.S. |
$86,071±$24k 7% above U.S. |
| Arlington and Shaftsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $318,500±$59k 4% below U.S. |
$610,000±$23kHighest 83% above U.S. |
$267,300±$24kLowest 20% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,191±$172 16% below U.S. |
$2,076±$69Highest 47% above U.S. |
$1,079±$54Lowest 24% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,549 46% above U.S. |
$4,880Highest 56% above U.S. |
$4,015Lowest 29% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 77.1%±9.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±5.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.7%±36Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 7.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
14.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 33% above U.S. |
25 min 7% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 35.9%±10.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #50 of 70 in VT | #264 of 282 in MA | #62 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Arlington School District | Everett | Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Arlington Memorial | Everett High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.6Lowest |
12.1Highest |
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| 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.