Compare towns
Barnet vs Castleton vs Northfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barnet has grown the fastest since 2010 (-2.6%).
Castleton has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Northfield has the most expensive homes ($274k 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 | Barnet | Castleton | Northfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,855Lowest |
4,453 |
5,920Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-5.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-4.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.7±5.3Highest 11% above VT |
38.3±4.3 11% below VT |
36.4±4.1Lowest 16% below VT |
| Barnet and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.6%±4.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
18.8%±6.4 VT: 17.9% |
14.6%±3.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Barnet and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 28.8%±3.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±4.6 VT: 21.4% |
20%±3.8Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Barnet and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.6% VT: 43.8% |
37.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
34.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1%±0.9Lowest VT: 7% |
19.3%±1.8Highest VT: 7% |
15.1%±2.1 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,386±$15kLowest 17% below VT |
$73,854±$23kHighest 9% below VT |
$71,768±$13k 12% below VT |
| Castleton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $247,900±$24k 22% below VT |
$224,800±$71kLowest 29% below VT |
$274,400±$21kHighest 13% below VT |
| Northfield and Barnet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $974±$72Lowest 21% below VT |
$1,137±$195Highest 8% below VT |
$1,018±$207 18% below VT |
| Castleton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,489 11% below VT |
$3,167Lowest 37% below VT |
$4,878Highest 3% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.3%±29.9Lowest VT: 48.4% |
67.7%±21.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
63.3%±17.7 VT: 48.4% |
| Castleton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
12.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
12.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
79% VT: 73.2% |
73.5%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Highest 2 yrs older than VT |
1974Highest 2 yrs older than VT |
1956Lowest 20 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 17% above VT |
19 minLowest 17% below VT |
27 min 16% above VT |
| Work from home | 13.3%±4.5Highest VT: 16.9% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
12.1%±4.3 VT: 16.9% |
| Barnet and Northfield 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 | — | #39 of 70 in VT | #42 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Paine Mountain Union School District #68 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Northfield Middle/High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.0 |
| 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.