Compare towns
Barre vs Busti vs Harmony
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).
Busti has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.6%).
Harmony has the most affordable homes ($128k median).
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 | Busti | Harmony |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
7,452 |
2,344Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 8% above U.S. |
46.6±4.8Highest 20% above U.S. |
41.8±7Lowest 7% above U.S. |
| Busti 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% |
19.9%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
22.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Harmony and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
23.8%±3.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.7%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Busti 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
29.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
17.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Barre and Harmony 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 U.S. |
$67,292±$9kHighest 17% below U.S. |
$58,600±$11kLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Busti 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 37% below U.S. |
$164,600±$12k 51% below U.S. |
$128,300±$15kLowest 61% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Highest 23% below U.S. |
$1,085±$106 23% below U.S. |
$788±$40Lowest 44% below U.S. |
| Barre and Busti 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. |
$3,876 24% above U.S. |
$2,805Lowest 10% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.5%±13.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43%±18.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Busti and Harmony 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% |
14.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
84.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1963 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
21 min 20% below U.S. |
26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.5%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
8.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Barre and Busti 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 | — | PANAMA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | — | PANAMA HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Highest |
— | 8.5Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.