Compare towns
Barre vs Berwick vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Berwick has the most people working from home (20.2%).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
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 | Berwick | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
8,175 |
4,790Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 8% above U.S. |
40.7±2.9Lowest 5% above U.S. |
43±5.5Highest 11% above U.S. |
| Sidney 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 U.S.: 22% |
22.7%±4.4 U.S.: 22% |
23.1%±5.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Sidney and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.2%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.4%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Barre and Sidney 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
35% U.S.: 35.7% |
33.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Berwick 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±$7kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$94,771±$24kHighest 17% above U.S. |
$83,488±$10k 3% above U.S. |
| Berwick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$369,100±$19kHighest 11% above U.S. |
$336,200±$34k about the U.S. average |
| Berwick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,452±$430Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,340±$304 5% below U.S. |
| Berwick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192Highest 66% above U.S. |
$4,436 42% above U.S. |
$2,474Lowest 21% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±46Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Berwick and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
89.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1989 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
1996Highest 16 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
30 minHighest 12% above U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
20.2%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.3%±5.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Berwick and Sidney 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 | #101 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.