Compare towns
Athens vs Brookfield vs Vershire
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Athens has the most renters (26.3% rent).
Brookfield has the most people working from home (27.3%).
Vershire has the most affordable homes ($209k median).
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 | Athens | Brookfield | Vershire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 431Lowest |
1,486Highest |
842 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-7.9%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.3±6.5Highest 10% above VT |
47±5.9 9% above VT |
45.7±9.3Lowest 6% above VT |
| Athens and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.9%±6.5Lowest VT: 17.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 17.9% |
19.1%±4.5Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Vershire and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.6%±4.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
29.7%±6.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
22.2%±5 VT: 21.4% |
| Brookfield and Vershire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
45.3%Highest VT: 43.8% |
31.8% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±3 VT: 7% |
3.2%±2.4Lowest VT: 7% |
5.2%±2.6Highest VT: 7% |
| Vershire and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,438±$30kLowest 16% below VT |
$98,500±$23kHighest 21% above VT |
$71,618±$12k 12% below VT |
| Brookfield and Vershire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $240,400±$32k 24% below VT |
$339,300±$15kHighest 7% above VT |
$209,100±$55kLowest 34% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$537Highest 9% below VT |
$975±$306Lowest 21% below VT |
$1,117±$80 9% below VT |
| Athens and Vershire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,438Highest 8% above VT |
$4,560Lowest 10% below VT |
$4,640 8% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.5%±39 VT: 48.4% |
30.4%±27.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
77.8%±24.5Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Vershire and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.1% VT: 10.1% |
6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
19.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
81.5% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 3 yrs older than VT |
1975 1 yr older than VT |
1985Highest 9 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 min 53% above VT |
37 minHighest 55% above VT |
32 minLowest 38% above VT |
| Work from home | 19.3%±7.5 VT: 16.9% |
27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
12.3%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Brookfield and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
VT 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.