Compare towns
Barre vs Bennington vs Stratton
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%).
Stratton has the most expensive homes ($400k 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 | Stratton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412 |
15,249Highest |
532Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
44.7±2.3Highest 4% above VT |
31.5±4.1Lowest 27% 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% |
28%±7.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
11.7%±4Lowest 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% |
33.2%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
1.3%±2.8Lowest 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 |
$122,708±$33kHighest 51% above VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
$400,000±$50kHighest 26% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 11% below VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
$1,208±$979Highest about the VT average |
| Stratton 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 |
$4,513Lowest 10% below VT |
$4,750 6% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3 VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
12%±69.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
0%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
73.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
1988Highest 12 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 21% below VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
33 minHighest 39% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
3.3%±3.5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Bennington and Barre 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 | — |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
14.7Highest |
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| 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.