Compare towns
Barnet vs Benson vs Waterville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barnet has the most people working from home (55%).
Benson has the highest household income ($79k).
Waterville has the youngest population (median age 49.1).
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 | Barnet | Benson | Waterville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 61Lowest |
784Highest |
680 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -7.8%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+1.9%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 62.2±45.8Highest 44% above VT |
51.9±9.4 20% above VT |
49.1±8.2Lowest 14% above VT |
| Barnet and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 31.1%±29.6Highest VT: 17.9% |
16.5%±5.2Lowest VT: 17.9% |
20.4%±8.2 VT: 17.9% |
| Barnet and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 36.1%±44.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
26.9%±4.2 VT: 21.4% |
14.4%±3.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Barnet and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 59.5%Highest VT: 43.8% |
32.6% VT: 43.8% |
32.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±23.2Lowest VT: 7% |
7%±5.8Highest VT: 7% |
5.3%±3.3 VT: 7% |
| Benson and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $57,917±$16kLowest 29% below VT |
$78,625±$8kHighest 3% below VT |
$71,250±$27k 12% below VT |
| Benson and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $204,200±$38kLowest 36% below VT |
$242,000±$26kHighest 24% below VT |
$236,300±$15k 25% below VT |
| Benson and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,113±$170Highest 10% below VT |
$1,110±$93Lowest 10% below VT |
| Benson and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,950Lowest 41% below VT |
$4,125Highest 18% below VT |
$3,957 21% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 53.4%±35.2Highest VT: 48.4% |
44.6%±27.2Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Benson and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 47.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
5.4% VT: 10.1% |
4.9%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 100%Highest VT: 73.2% |
80.9% VT: 73.2% |
79.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
1972 4 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | — | 32 minLowest 35% above VT |
38 minHighest 60% above VT |
| Work from home | 55%±29Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.6%±5.4 VT: 16.9% |
8.5%±3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Lamoille North Modified Union School District #058A |
| High school in town | — | None 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.