Compare towns
Barre vs Brattleboro vs Rockingham
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).
Brattleboro has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.1%).
Rockingham has the highest household income ($71k).
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 | Brattleboro | Rockingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412 |
12,122Highest |
4,807Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2% VT: +2.8% |
+1.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-8.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
45.6±4.5 6% above VT |
46.4±2.6Highest 8% above VT |
| Rockingham and Brattleboro 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% |
19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
19.2%±4.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Rockingham and Brattleboro 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% |
25.5%±3.2 VT: 21.4% |
29.8%±5Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Rockingham and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
46.5%Highest VT: 43.8% |
37.1% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9Lowest VT: 7% |
4.1%±1.6 VT: 7% |
6.1%±2.9Highest VT: 7% |
| Rockingham and Brattleboro 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 |
$58,241±$8kLowest 28% below VT |
$70,857±$16kHighest 13% below VT |
| Rockingham 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 |
$257,300±$18kHighest 19% below VT |
$210,900±$14k 33% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Highest 11% below VT |
$1,074±$58 13% below VT |
$1,062±$101Lowest 14% below VT |
| Barre and Brattleboro 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 |
$5,700Highest 13% above VT |
$4,887Lowest 3% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
46.9%±9.6Highest VT: 48.4% |
46.7%±13.7 VT: 48.4% |
| Brattleboro and Rockingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3% VT: 10.1% |
17.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
16.7%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
58.5% VT: 73.2% |
61.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 29 yrs older than VT |
1955Highest 21 yrs older than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
19 min 19% below VT |
20 minHighest 16% below VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
17.9%±4Highest VT: 16.9% |
17.9%±7.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #19 of 70 in VT | #33 of 70 in VT | #65 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Rockingham School District |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | Brattleboro Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Highest |
9.0Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.