Compare towns
Barre vs Barton vs St. Albans
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 shortest commute (19 min average).
Barton has the most people working from home (16.5%).
St. Albans has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.6%).
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 | Barton | St. Albans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
730Lowest |
6,954 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2% VT: +2.8% |
-6.4%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Highest about the VT average |
40±5.5 7% below VT |
38.7±2Lowest 10% below VT |
| Barre and Barton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
24.1%±5.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
20.5%±3.7 VT: 17.9% |
| Barton and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
21.2%±4.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
13.9%±2.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Barton and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
21.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
31.7% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9Highest VT: 7% |
1.9%±1.6Lowest VT: 7% |
2.7%±1.6 VT: 7% |
| Barre and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7kHighest 19% below VT |
$40,833±$8kLowest 50% below VT |
$57,980±$7k 29% below VT |
| Barre and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15k 34% below VT |
$146,900±$30kLowest 54% below VT |
$263,400±$18kHighest 17% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$761±$150Lowest 38% below VT |
$1,150±$78Highest 7% below VT |
| St. Albans and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$3,185Lowest 37% below VT |
$4,436 12% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
58.8%±18.2Highest VT: 48.4% |
51.8%±11.8 VT: 48.4% |
| Barton and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
25.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
19.5% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4% VT: 73.2% |
52.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
49%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Highest 29 yrs older than VT |
1945Lowest 31 yrs older than VT |
1945Lowest 31 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
31 minHighest 32% above VT |
23 min 4% below VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
16.5%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
12.1%±3.5 VT: 16.9% |
| Barton and St. Albans 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 | #38 of 70 in VT | #46 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | — | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
— | 11.4Highest |
| 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.