Compare towns
Barre vs Reading vs Ripton vs Bennington
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).
Reading has the most people working from home (22.9%).
Ripton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+25.7%).
Bennington has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Reading | Ripton | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,412 |
699 |
508Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+3.2% VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
51.1±7.6Highest 19% above VT |
47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Reading and Ripton 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% |
18.5%±4.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Reading and Bennington 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% |
28.2%±3.3 VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Ripton and Reading 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% |
46% VT: 43.8% |
48%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
3.1%±2.5Lowest VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3Highest VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
$85,000±$19k 5% above VT |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$59,446±$7kLowest 27% below VT |
| Ripton and Reading 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 |
$377,200±$72k 19% above VT |
$394,400±$61kHighest 25% above VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
| Ripton and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 11% below VT |
$1,100±$331 11% below VT |
— | $1,133±$63Highest 8% below VT |
| Bennington and Reading 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 |
$5,754Highest 14% above VT |
$4,915 about the VT average |
$4,513Lowest 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
63.3%±31.7 VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Reading 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% |
8.4%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
8.6% VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
84.9% VT: 73.2% |
90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1969 7 yrs older than VT |
1973Highest 3 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 21% below VT |
33 minHighest 41% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
22.9%±10.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7 VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| Reading and Ripton 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 | — | — | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Mountain Views Unified Union School District #76 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | None in town | None in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
— | — | 14.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.