Compare towns
Barre vs Lyme vs St. Albans
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barre has the most affordable homes ($210k median).
Lyme has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.7%).
St. Albans has the youngest population (median age 38.7).
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 | Lyme | St. Albans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
1,710Lowest |
6,954 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 8% above U.S. |
48.6±7.8Highest 25% above U.S. |
38.7±2Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Lyme 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% |
19.5%±3.4 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
| St. Albans and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
26.5%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
13.9%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
70.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
31.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Barre and Lyme 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 U.S. |
$133,906±$15kHighest 66% above U.S. |
$57,980±$7kLowest 28% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$645,000±$64kHighest 94% above U.S. |
$263,400±$18k 21% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,418±$130Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,150±$78 19% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192 66% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$4,436Lowest 42% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±29.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.8%±11.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Lyme and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
19.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
80.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
49%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
21 min 21% below U.S. |
23 minHighest 14% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
27.2%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #19 of 70 in VT | — | #46 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Lyme School District | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | None in town | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
— | 11.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.