What stands out worked out from the figures below

Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).

Chester has the most homeowners (86.7%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Barre	Chester
People
Population	8,412Highest	2,992Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8%	-4.7%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average	49.7±4.7Highest 15% above VT
	Chester 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%	14.1%±4.7Highest VT: 17.9%
	Chester and Barre 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%	29.8%±7.9Highest VT: 21.4%
	Chester 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 VT: 43.8%	33.1%Lowest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±1.9Lowest VT: 7%	5.1%±4Highest VT: 7%
	Chester 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±$7kHighest 19% below VT	$62,125±$8kLowest 23% below VT
	Barre and Chester 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	$232,900±$44kHighest 26% below VT
	Chester and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,093±$58Highest 11% below VT	$960±$44Lowest 22% below VT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,192Highest 3% above VT	$4,262Lowest 15% below VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	34.4%±10.3Highest VT: 48.4%	11.5%±12.3Lowest VT: 48.4%
Below poverty line	17.3%Highest VT: 10.1%	7%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2%	86.7%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT	1972Highest 4 yrs older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 21% below VT	28 minHighest 18% above VT
Work from home	10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9%	14%±6.9Highest VT: 16.9%
	Chester and Barre 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	#49 of 70 in VT
School district	Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center	Green Mountain Unified School District #77
High school in town	Spaulding Union High School	Green Mountain Union High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.7Highest	8.7Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.