Compare towns
Athens vs Cornwall vs Middlebury
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 affordable homes ($240k median).
Cornwall has the most kids (18.7% under 18).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
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 | Athens | Cornwall | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 431Lowest |
1,208 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +1.9%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.3±6.5 10% above VT |
50.4±4.6Highest 17% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Cornwall and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.9%±6.5 VT: 17.9% |
18.7%±3Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Cornwall and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.6%±4.6 VT: 21.4% |
25.7%±6.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Cornwall and Athens 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% |
54.7% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±3 VT: 7% |
3.7%±3.1Lowest VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,438±$30kLowest 16% below VT |
$114,583±$32kHighest 41% above VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
| Cornwall and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $240,400±$32kLowest 24% below VT |
$458,000±$49kHighest 45% above VT |
$409,700±$30k 29% above VT |
| Cornwall and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$537Lowest 9% below VT |
$1,125±$206Lowest 9% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
| Middlebury and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,438Lowest 8% above VT |
$6,726 33% above VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.5%±39Lowest VT: 48.4% |
61.9%±65.5Highest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Cornwall and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.1%Highest VT: 10.1% |
0.8%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.7% VT: 73.2% |
94.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 3 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 53% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 19.3%±7.5 VT: 16.9% |
24.4%±6.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Cornwall and Athens 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 | — | — | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Middlebury Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.6 |
| 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.