Compare towns
Barre vs Ira vs Sandgate
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).
Ira has the most expensive homes ($273k median).
Sandgate has the most people working from home (34.6%).
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 | Ira | Sandgate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
381Lowest |
435 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2% VT: +2.8% |
— | — |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
54.1±5.5 26% above VT |
55.7±5.4Highest 29% above VT |
| Sandgate and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.5%±3.8Highest VT: 17.9% |
10.5%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
13.1%±7.5 VT: 17.9% |
| Barre and Sandgate 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% |
28.9%±3.3Highest VT: 21.4% |
26%±11.3 VT: 21.4% |
| Ira and Sandgate 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% |
37.1% VT: 43.8% |
37.8%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9Highest VT: 7% |
3.4%±3.5Highest VT: 7% |
2.3%±2.4Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7kLowest 19% below VT |
$71,827±$5kHighest 12% below VT |
$69,167±$19k 15% below VT |
| Ira and Sandgate 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 |
$272,900±$18kHighest 14% below VT |
$193,800±$31kLowest 39% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Highest 11% below VT |
$942±$52Lowest 24% below VT |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$4,146 18% below VT |
$2,778Lowest 45% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3 VT: 48.4% |
36.4%±100Highest VT: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Ira 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 VT: 10.1% |
14.4% VT: 10.1% |
9.7%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
90.7% VT: 73.2% |
94.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
1959 17 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
28 minHighest 20% above VT |
27 min 16% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
34.6%±32.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Sandgate 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 | — | — |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — | — |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | — | — |
| 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.