Compare towns
Barre vs Bennington vs Sheldon
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 most people working from home (15.1%).
Sheldon has the most homeowners (89%).
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 | Sheldon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412 |
15,249Highest |
2,267Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
-2.5%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
44.7±2.3Highest 4% above VT |
40.9±3.5Lowest 5% below VT |
| Bennington and Barre 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% |
23.7%±3.6Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
12.6%±2.3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Bennington 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% VT: 43.8% |
36.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
14.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
2%±1.3Lowest 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 |
$59,446±$7kLowest 27% below VT |
$78,533±$25kHighest 3% below VT |
| Sheldon and Barre 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 |
$272,400±$61kHighest 14% below VT |
| Sheldon and Bennington 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 |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
$1,286±$379Highest 4% above VT |
| Sheldon and Bennington 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 |
$4,513 10% below VT |
$3,578Lowest 29% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3 VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
0%±27Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
5.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
89%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
1984Highest 8 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 21% below VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
25 minHighest 7% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
13%±3.7 VT: 16.9% |
| Bennington and Sheldon 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 | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
14.7Highest |
— |
| 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.