Compare towns
Barnet vs Cavendish vs Middlebury
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 kids (21.6% under 18).
Cavendish has the highest household income ($89k).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
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 | Barnet | Cavendish | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,855 |
1,242Lowest |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.6%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+1.8% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.7±5.3Highest 11% above VT |
45.2±5.9 5% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Barnet and Cavendish 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% |
18.3%±4.8 VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Barnet and Cavendish 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% |
23.6%±2 VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Barnet and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
39.3% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1%±0.9Lowest VT: 7% |
4.3%±1.9 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,386±$15kLowest 17% below VT |
$89,063±$29kHighest 10% above VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
| Cavendish and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $247,900±$24kLowest 22% below VT |
$285,100±$40k 10% below VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $974±$72Lowest 21% below VT |
$1,000±$546 19% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
| Middlebury and Cavendish 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 |
$3,948Lowest 22% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.3%±29.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
28.9%±27Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Barnet and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.2% VT: 10.1% |
6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% VT: 73.2% |
81.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 2 yrs older than VT |
1968Lowest 8 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 17% above VT |
19 min 21% below VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 13.3%±4.5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.5%±6.6 VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Middlebury and Cavendish 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 | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 | Green Mountain Unified School District #77 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | None 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.