Compare towns
Barre vs Dover vs Dummerston vs Bennington
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).
Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+60%).
Dummerston has the highest household income ($102k).
Bennington has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Dover | Dummerston | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,412 |
1,466Lowest |
2,090 |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+60%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+0.1% VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
53.5±8.3Highest 24% above VT |
45.6±11.7 6% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Dover and Dummerston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 13.5%±3.8 VT: 17.9% |
10.2%±5.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Dummerston and Bennington 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% |
29.5%±6.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
24.3%±3 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Dover 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 VT: 43.8% |
48.9% VT: 43.8% |
58.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
2.5%±2.9 VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
| 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 VT |
$52,313±$7kLowest 36% below VT |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$332,900±$55k 5% above VT |
$335,300±$22kHighest 6% above VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
| Dummerston and Dover 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 |
$670±$49Lowest 46% below VT |
$1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$4,510Lowest 10% below VT |
$4,536 10% below VT |
$4,513 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
38.1%±17.2 VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2 VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Dummerston 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% |
7.3% VT: 10.1% |
4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
81.1% VT: 73.2% |
92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1984Highest 8 yrs newer than VT |
1971 5 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 21% below VT |
22 minHighest 6% below VT |
21 min 11% below VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
23.2%±11.1 VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| Dummerston and Dover 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 | River Valleys Unified School District #73 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | None in town | 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 | 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.