Compare towns
Barre vs Bloomfield vs Marshfield
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).
Bloomfield has the most kids (27.4% under 18).
Marshfield has the most people working from home (17.5%).
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 | Bloomfield | Marshfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
234Lowest |
470 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2% VT: +2.8% |
— | — |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
41.9±12Lowest about the VT average |
42.4±8.8Highest about the VT average |
| Marshfield 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% |
27.4%±14.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
19.4%±9.1 VT: 17.9% |
| Bloomfield and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±8Highest VT: 21.4% |
10.2%±4.4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Bloomfield 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%Highest VT: 43.8% |
32.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
35.7% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
0.9%±4.5Lowest VT: 7% |
3.6%±2.4Highest VT: 7% |
| Marshfield 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 |
$54,375±$17kLowest 33% below VT |
$84,375±$20kHighest 4% above VT |
| Marshfield 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±$15kHighest 34% below VT |
$190,600±$63k 40% below VT |
$178,300±$31kLowest 44% below VT |
| Barre and Bloomfield 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 |
— | $1,125±$79Highest 9% below VT |
| Marshfield and Barre 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 |
$2,800Lowest 44% below VT |
$3,269 35% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
— | 52.4%±62.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Marshfield 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 VT: 10.1% |
2.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
4.9% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
83.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
81.2% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 29 yrs older than VT |
1981Highest 5 yrs newer than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
30 minHighest 28% above VT |
29 min 24% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
4.6%±4.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
17.5%±7.2Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Marshfield 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 | — | — |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — | — |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
— | — |
| 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.