Compare towns
Barre vs Hardwick 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).
Hardwick has the most affordable homes ($185k 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 | Hardwick | Walden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
2,965 |
1,037Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-3% VT: +2.8% |
+2.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
47.1±7.4 9% above VT |
48.8±3.2Highest 13% above VT |
| Walden and Hardwick 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% |
15.8%±4.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
14.3%±3.9 VT: 17.9% |
| Hardwick 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%±5.9Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.4%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
| Hardwick and Walden 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% |
33.7% VT: 43.8% |
26.4%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
2.4%±2.4Lowest 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 |
$92,297±$17kHighest 14% above VT |
$88,000±$15k 8% above VT |
| Hardwick and Walden 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 |
$184,700±$39kLowest 42% 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±$58Highest 11% below VT |
$875±$406Lowest 29% below VT |
$900±$136 27% below VT |
| Barre and Walden 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 |
$4,351 14% below VT |
$3,944Lowest 22% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
48.6%±41.3 VT: 48.4% |
56.3%±86.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Walden and Hardwick 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% |
9.7% VT: 10.1% |
9.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
76.4% VT: 73.2% |
93.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1962 14 yrs older than VT |
1983Highest 7 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
29 minHighest 23% above VT |
26 min 10% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
11.8%±6 VT: 16.9% |
21.4%±6.7Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Walden and Hardwick 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 | #68 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Mountain View Union Elementary School District #94 · Hazen Union High School District #26 | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | Hazen Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Highest |
8.6Lowest |
— |
| 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.