Compare towns
Barre vs Dummerston vs Ira
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).
Dummerston has the most people working from home (25.9%).
Ira has the oldest population (median age 54.1).
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 | Dummerston | Ira |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
2,090 |
381Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+0.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
45.6±11.7 6% above VT |
54.1±5.5Highest 26% above VT |
| Ira 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% |
21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
10.5%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Dummerston 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% |
24.3%±3 VT: 21.4% |
28.9%±3.3Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Ira and Dummerston 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% |
58.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
37.1% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9Highest VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
3.4%±3.5Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7kLowest 19% below VT |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$71,827±$5k 12% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$335,300±$22kHighest 6% above VT |
$272,900±$18k 14% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
$942±$52Lowest 24% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$4,536 10% below VT |
$4,146Lowest 18% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2Highest VT: 48.4% |
36.4%±100 VT: 48.4% |
| Dummerston and Ira 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% |
4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
14.4% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
90.7% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1971 5 yrs older than VT |
1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
21 min 11% below VT |
28 minHighest 20% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest 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 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | — |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | 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.