Compare towns
Barre vs Colrain vs Bennington
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).
Colrain has the most homeowners (86.5%).
Bennington has the most people working from home (15.1%).
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 | Colrain | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412 |
1,627Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest 8% above U.S. |
49.6±8.7Highest 28% above U.S. |
44.7±2.3 15% above U.S. |
| Colrain and Bennington 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% |
15.3%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Bennington and Colrain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
30.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Colrain and Bennington 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
37.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bennington 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±$7k 19% below U.S. |
$80,673±$10kHighest about the U.S. average |
$59,446±$7kLowest 26% below U.S. |
| Colrain 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±$15kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$284,300±$14kHighest 15% below U.S. |
$213,300±$15k 36% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,102±$77 22% below U.S. |
$1,133±$63Highest 20% below U.S. |
| Bennington and Colrain 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. |
$4,317Lowest 38% above U.S. |
$4,513 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46%±22.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bennington and Colrain 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% |
7.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1963Highest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 30% below U.S. |
34 minHighest 27% above U.S. |
17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
8.4%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.1%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bennington 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 | — | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Mohawk Trail | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | None in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
— | 14.7Highest |
| 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.