Compare towns
Barre vs Northfield vs Braintree
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).
Northfield has the most expensive homes ($274k median).
Braintree has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | Northfield | Braintree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
5,920 |
1,026Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-4.7% VT: +2.8% |
-3.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
36.4±4.1Lowest 16% below VT |
58.4±2.4Highest 35% above VT |
| Kids under 18 | 13.5%±3.8 VT: 17.9% |
14.6%±3.7Highest VT: 17.9% |
12.3%±3.2Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Northfield and Barre 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% |
20%±3.8 VT: 21.4% |
33.2%±3.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
34.6% VT: 43.8% |
30.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
15.1%±2.1Highest VT: 7% |
1.8%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7kLowest 19% below VT |
$71,768±$13k 12% below VT |
$79,803±$5kHighest about the VT average |
| Braintree and Northfield 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 |
$274,400±$21kHighest 13% below VT |
$217,700±$28k 31% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Highest 11% below VT |
$1,018±$207 18% below VT |
$840±$405Lowest 32% below VT |
| Barre and Northfield 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 |
$4,878 3% below VT |
$3,908Lowest 22% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
63.3%±17.7Highest VT: 48.4% |
43.4%±29.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Northfield and Braintree 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% |
12.5% VT: 10.1% |
11.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
73.5% VT: 73.2% |
81%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1956 20 yrs older than VT |
1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
27 minHighest 16% above VT |
26 min 11% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
12.1%±4.3 VT: 16.9% |
19%±7.2Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Braintree and Northfield 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 | #42 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Paine Mountain Union School District #68 | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | Northfield Middle/High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Highest |
10.0Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.