Compare towns
Barre vs Brookfield vs Elmore
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).
Brookfield has the most people working from home (27.3%).
Elmore has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.6%).
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 | Brookfield | Elmore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
1,486 |
964Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-3.7% VT: +2.8% |
+3.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
47±5.9Highest 9% above VT |
45±3.5 4% above VT |
| Brookfield and Elmore 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% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 17.9% |
23.4%±9.5Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Elmore and Brookfield 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% |
29.7%±6.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
14.6%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Brookfield 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%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
45.3% VT: 43.8% |
47.8%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9Highest VT: 7% |
3.2%±2.4 VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
| Barre and Brookfield 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 VT |
$98,500±$23k 21% above VT |
$98,750±$24kHighest 22% above VT |
| Elmore and Brookfield 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 |
$339,300±$15kHighest 7% above VT |
$315,800±$47k about the VT average |
| Brookfield and Elmore are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$975±$306Lowest 21% below VT |
$1,225±$263Highest about the VT average |
| Elmore 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 |
$4,560Lowest 10% below VT |
$5,066 about the VT average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Highest VT: 48.4% |
30.4%±27.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
31.8%±65.8 VT: 48.4% |
| Barre and Elmore 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% |
6.3% VT: 10.1% |
3.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
87.9% VT: 73.2% |
92.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1975 1 yr older than VT |
1978Highest 2 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
37 minHighest 55% above VT |
29 min 25% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
9.4%±4.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| 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 | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | Elmore-Morristown Unified Union School District #90 |
| 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 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.