What stands out worked out from the figures below

Barre has the shortest commute (19 min average).

Hoosick has the most kids (22.2% under 18).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Barre	Hoosick
People
Population	8,412Highest	6,671Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-3.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.2±6.6Lowest 8% above U.S.	44.9±5.5Highest 15% above U.S.
	Hoosick and Barre 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%	22.2%±4Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	19.4%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.7%±4.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Hoosick and Barre 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 U.S.: 35.7%	24%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.6%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hoosick 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±$7kHighest 19% below U.S.	$63,372±$21kLowest 22% below U.S.
	Barre and Hoosick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$210,400±$15kHighest 37% below U.S.	$177,200±$21kLowest 47% below U.S.
	Barre and Hoosick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,093±$58Highest 23% below U.S.	$881±$148Lowest 38% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,192Highest 66% above U.S.	$4,071Lowest 31% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	34.4%±10.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	43%±13.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Hoosick and Barre 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%	12.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	50.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	74.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S.	1954Highest 26 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 30% below U.S.	32 minHighest 21% above U.S.
Work from home	10.5%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.3%±5.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Hoosick 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	#62 of 484 in NY
School district	Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center	HOOSICK FALLS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	Spaulding Union High School	HOOSICK FALLS HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	10.7Highest	9.7Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.