Compare towns
Barre vs Castleton vs Brookfield
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).
Castleton has the youngest population (median age 38.3).
Brookfield has the most people working from home (27.3%).
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 | Castleton | Brookfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
4,453 |
1,486Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-5.5% VT: +2.8% |
-3.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
38.3±4.3Lowest 11% below VT |
47±5.9Highest 9% above VT |
| Brookfield 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% |
18.8%±6.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9Lowest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±4.6 VT: 21.4% |
29.7%±6.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Brookfield and Castleton 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% |
37.9% VT: 43.8% |
45.3%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
19.3%±1.8Highest VT: 7% |
3.2%±2.4Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7kLowest 19% below VT |
$73,854±$23k 9% below VT |
$98,500±$23kHighest 21% above VT |
| Brookfield and Castleton 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 |
$224,800±$71k 29% below VT |
$339,300±$15kHighest 7% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$1,137±$195Highest 8% below VT |
$975±$306Lowest 21% below VT |
| Castleton 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 |
$3,167Lowest 37% below VT |
$4,560 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3 VT: 48.4% |
67.7%±21.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
30.4%±27.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
12.5% VT: 10.1% |
6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
79% VT: 73.2% |
87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1974 2 yrs older than VT |
1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
19 min 17% below VT |
37 minHighest 55% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #19 of 70 in VT | #39 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 |
| 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 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.