Compare towns
Barre vs Brookfield vs Roxbury vs Berlin
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%).
Roxbury has the most kids (30.6% under 18).
Berlin has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.3%).
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 | Roxbury | Berlin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
1,486 |
942Lowest |
2,880 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-3.7% VT: +2.8% |
-1.9% VT: +2.8% |
-1.3%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
47±5.9 9% above VT |
35.6±11.7Lowest 17% below VT |
50.6±2.4Highest 17% above VT |
| Berlin and Brookfield 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% |
30.6%±5Highest VT: 17.9% |
16.6%±4.2 VT: 17.9% |
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
29.7%±6.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
18.7%±8.1Lowest VT: 21.4% |
26.8%±4.4 VT: 21.4% |
| Brookfield and Berlin 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% |
45.3%Highest VT: 43.8% |
29.9% VT: 43.8% |
28.5%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
3.2%±2.4 VT: 7% |
2.8%±2.3Lowest VT: 7% |
3.9%±2.9Highest VT: 7% |
| Berlin 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 VT |
$98,500±$23kHighest 21% above VT |
$73,214±$22k 10% below VT |
$86,691±$21k 7% above VT |
| Brookfield and Berlin 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 |
$242,600±$55k 23% below VT |
$273,600±$31k 14% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$975±$306 21% below VT |
$950±$495Lowest 23% below VT |
$1,169±$171Highest 5% below VT |
| Berlin 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 |
$4,560 10% below VT |
$4,284Lowest 15% below VT |
$4,418 12% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3 VT: 48.4% |
30.4%±27.8 VT: 48.4% |
16.7%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
41%±19.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Berlin and Barre 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% |
6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
27.2%Highest VT: 10.1% |
10.9% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
87.9% VT: 73.2% |
94%Highest VT: 73.2% |
87.9% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1975 1 yr older than VT |
1974 2 yrs older than VT |
1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
37 minHighest 55% above VT |
26 min 12% above VT |
21 min 10% below VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
5.2%±3.8Lowest VT: 16.9% |
11.7%±3.8 VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #19 of 70 in VT | — | — | #16 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | — | Washington Central Unified Union School District #92 |
| 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 | 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.