Compare towns
Barre vs Bennington vs Dummerston vs Rockingham
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).
Bennington has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Dummerston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.1%).
Rockingham has the oldest population (median age 46.4).
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 | Bennington | Dummerston | Rockingham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,412 |
15,249Highest |
2,090Lowest |
4,807 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2% VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
+0.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-8.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
45.6±11.7 6% above VT |
46.4±2.6Highest 8% above VT |
| Rockingham and Dummerston 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% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
19.2%±4.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Dummerston and Rockingham 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% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
24.3%±3 VT: 21.4% |
29.8%±5Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Rockingham 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% |
36.9% VT: 43.8% |
58.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
37.1% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6 VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
6.1%±2.9Highest VT: 7% |
| Rockingham and Bennington 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 |
$59,446±$7kLowest 27% below VT |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$70,857±$16k 13% below VT |
| Dummerston and Rockingham 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 |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
$335,300±$22kHighest 6% above VT |
$210,900±$14k 33% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
$1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
$1,062±$101Lowest 14% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$4,513Lowest 10% below VT |
$4,536 10% below VT |
$4,887 3% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2 VT: 48.4% |
46.7%±13.7 VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Rockingham 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% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
16.7% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
61.7% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 29 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
1971Highest 5 yrs older than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 21% below VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
21 minHighest 11% below VT |
20 min 16% below VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
17.9%±7.1 VT: 16.9% |
| Dummerston and Rockingham 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 | — | #65 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Rockingham School District |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
14.7Highest |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.