Compare towns
Barre vs Andover vs Reading vs Bennington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Andover has the most people working from home (29.6%).
Reading has the most kids (18.5% under 18).
Bennington has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Barre | Andover | Reading | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,412 |
616Lowest |
699 |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
— | +3.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
49.2±5.1 14% above VT |
51.1±7.6Highest 19% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Reading and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 13.5%±3.8 VT: 17.9% |
11.5%±4.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
18.5%±4.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Reading and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9Lowest VT: 21.4% |
22.7%±4.3 VT: 21.4% |
28.2%±3.3Highest VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Reading and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
43.3% VT: 43.8% |
46%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
2.8%±1.5Lowest VT: 7% |
3.1%±2.5 VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
| Bennington and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
$102,500±$38kHighest 26% above VT |
$85,000±$19k 5% above VT |
$59,446±$7kLowest 27% below VT |
| Andover and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$382,900±$68kHighest 21% above VT |
$377,200±$72k 19% above VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
| Andover and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 11% below VT |
$1,389±$364Highest 13% above VT |
$1,100±$331 11% below VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
| Andover and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192 3% above VT |
$5,190 about the VT average |
$5,754Highest 14% above VT |
$4,513Lowest 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
69.4%±47.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
63.3%±31.7 VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1 VT: 48.4% |
| Andover and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
4.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
8.4% VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
82.8% VT: 73.2% |
84.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT |
1969 7 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 21% below VT |
25 min 7% above VT |
33 minHighest 41% above VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
29.6%±12.9Highest VT: 16.9% |
22.9%±10.6 VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| Andover and Reading 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 | #19 of 70 in VT | — | — | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — | Mountain Views Unified Union School District #76 | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | — | None in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
— | — | 14.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.