Compare towns
Barre vs Concord vs Walden
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).
Concord has the most affordable homes ($159k median).
Walden has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.2%).
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 | Concord | Walden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
1,145 |
1,037Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2% VT: +2.8% |
-7.6%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+2.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
49.8±6.6Highest 16% above VT |
48.8±3.2 13% above VT |
| Concord and Walden 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% |
15.9%±3.8Highest VT: 17.9% |
14.3%±3.9 VT: 17.9% |
| Concord and Walden 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% |
27.1%±4Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.4%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
22.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
26.4% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
2.2%±2.1Lowest VT: 7% |
4%±2.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Walden 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 |
$73,304±$9k 10% below VT |
$88,000±$15kHighest 8% above VT |
| Walden and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15k 34% below VT |
$159,300±$8kLowest 50% below VT |
$238,900±$23kHighest 25% below VT |
| Walden and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$1,111±$29Highest 10% below VT |
$900±$136Lowest 27% below VT |
| Concord 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 |
$3,026Lowest 40% below VT |
$3,944 22% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
43.3%±82.4 VT: 48.4% |
56.3%±86.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Walden and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
9.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
93.6% VT: 73.2% |
93.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1977 1 yr newer than VT |
1983Highest 7 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
27 minHighest 13% above VT |
26 min 10% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
8.7%±4.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
21.4%±6.7Highest VT: 16.9% |
| 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 | Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64 | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 |
| 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 |
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.