Compare towns
Athens vs Hyde Park vs Marshfield
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 oldest population (median age 47.3).
Hyde Park has the most kids (22.6% under 18).
Marshfield has the most affordable homes ($178k 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 | Hyde Park | Marshfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 431Lowest |
513Highest |
470 |
| Median age | 47.3±6.5Highest 10% above VT |
42.6±10.1 about the VT average |
42.4±8.8Lowest about the VT average |
| Athens and Hyde Park 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% |
22.6%±6.5Highest VT: 17.9% |
19.4%±9.1 VT: 17.9% |
| Hyde Park and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.6%±4.6Highest VT: 21.4% |
16.4%±3.3 VT: 21.4% |
10.2%±4.4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Athens and Hyde Park 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% |
41%Highest VT: 43.8% |
35.7% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±3Highest VT: 7% |
2.1%±2Lowest VT: 7% |
3.6%±2.4 VT: 7% |
| Athens and Marshfield 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 |
$89,946±$10kHighest 11% above VT |
$84,375±$20k 4% above VT |
| Hyde Park and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $240,400±$32kHighest 24% below VT |
$221,800±$57k 30% below VT |
$178,300±$31kLowest 44% below VT |
| Athens and Hyde Park 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 |
$1,306±$285Highest 6% above VT |
$1,125±$79Lowest 9% below VT |
| Hyde Park and Athens 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 |
$3,893 23% below VT |
$3,269Lowest 35% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.5%±39 VT: 48.4% |
42.1%±47.5Lowest VT: 48.4% |
52.4%±62.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Marshfield and Athens 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% |
6.2% VT: 10.1% |
4.9%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
79.6% VT: 73.2% |
81.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Highest 3 yrs older than VT |
1964 12 yrs older than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 53% above VT |
26 minLowest 11% above VT |
29 min 24% above VT |
| Work from home | 19.3%±7.5Highest VT: 16.9% |
7.9%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
17.5%±7.2 VT: 16.9% |
| Athens and Marshfield 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 | — | #59 of 70 in VT | — |
| 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.