Compare towns
Barre vs Bennington vs Hartford vs Springfield
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).
Hartford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.4%).
Springfield has the most affordable homes ($192k 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 | Barre | Bennington | Hartford | Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,412Lowest |
15,249Highest |
10,736 |
9,084 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
+7.4%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-3.3% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
44.7±2.3Highest 4% above VT |
43.2±3.9 about the VT average |
43.2±3.7 about the VT average |
| Bennington and Hartford 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% |
18%±3 VT: 17.9% |
18.6%±3.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Springfield and Hartford 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%±2.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
22.5%±3.3 VT: 21.4% |
23.6%±3.7 VT: 21.4% |
| Bennington and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1% VT: 43.8% |
36.9% VT: 43.8% |
47.6%Highest VT: 43.8% |
23.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
4.9%±1.7 VT: 7% |
2.3%±1.4Lowest VT: 7% |
| Bennington and Hartford 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 |
$78,125±$7kHighest 4% below VT |
$66,571±$13k 18% below VT |
| Hartford and Springfield 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 |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
$304,500±$26kHighest 4% below VT |
$192,400±$20kLowest 39% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
$1,218±$118Highest about the VT average |
$963±$100Lowest 22% below VT |
| Hartford 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 |
$4,513Lowest 10% below VT |
$5,773Highest 15% above VT |
$4,807 5% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
44.6%±12.7 VT: 48.4% |
49.6%±15.6 VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Springfield 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% |
11.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
14.8% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
67.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
67.7% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
1958 18 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 21% below VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
18 min 22% below VT |
27 minHighest 16% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
13.9%±3.5 VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±5.5Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #19 of 70 in VT | #58 of 70 in VT | #34 of 70 in VT | #64 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 | Hartford School District | River Valley Technical Center · Springfield School District |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | Hartford High School | Springfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
14.7Highest |
9.6Lowest |
14.3 |
| 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.