Compare towns
Barre vs Middlebury vs St. Albans
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 affordable homes ($210k median).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
St. Albans has the most kids (20.5% under 18).
Middlebury is a college town. 40.9% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Middlebury | St. Albans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
7,220 |
6,954Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+10.9%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Highest about the VT average |
23.7±1.3Lowest 45% below VT |
38.7±2 10% below VT |
| Barre and St. Albans 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% |
8.5%±1.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
20.5%±3.7Highest VT: 17.9% |
| St. Albans and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
19.8%±2.6Highest VT: 21.4% |
13.9%±2.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Middlebury 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% VT: 43.8% |
61.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
31.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
40.9%±2.3Highest VT: 7% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
$86,250±$18kHighest 6% above VT |
$57,980±$7kLowest 29% below VT |
| Middlebury and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$417,400±$31kHighest 32% above VT |
$263,400±$18k 17% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 11% below VT |
$1,201±$120Highest about the VT average |
$1,150±$78 7% below VT |
| Middlebury and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192 3% above VT |
$6,795Highest 35% above VT |
$4,436Lowest 12% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
56.6%±15.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
51.8%±11.8 VT: 48.4% |
| Middlebury 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% VT: 10.1% |
15.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
19.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4% VT: 73.2% |
56.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
49%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 29 yrs older than VT |
1977Highest 1 yr newer than VT |
1945Lowest 31 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 21% below VT |
15 minLowest 38% below VT |
23 minHighest 4% below VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
19.1%±4.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
12.1%±3.5 VT: 16.9% |
| Middlebury and St. Albans 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 | #17 of 70 in VT | #46 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | — | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
— | 11.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 6 photos → | 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.