Compare towns
Barre vs Royalton vs Sharon
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).
Royalton has the most people working from home (17.8%).
Sharon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.9%).
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 | Royalton | Sharon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
2,752 |
1,577Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.8% VT: +2.8% |
+3.9%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
43.9±10.1 about the VT average |
45.6±7.7Highest 6% above VT |
| Sharon and Royalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
14.4%±5.8 VT: 17.9% |
21%±5Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Sharon and Royalton 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% |
22.1%±6.4 VT: 21.4% |
25.1%±3.6Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Sharon and Royalton 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% |
42.6%Highest VT: 43.8% |
37.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
8%±4.2Highest VT: 7% |
1.5%±0.9Lowest VT: 7% |
| Royalton and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7kLowest 19% below VT |
$103,938±$24kHighest 28% above VT |
$84,375±$17k 4% above VT |
| Royalton and Sharon 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 |
$263,200±$73k 17% below VT |
$346,700±$37kHighest 10% above VT |
| Sharon and Royalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$1,040±$391Lowest 16% below VT |
$1,386±$155Highest 12% above VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192 3% above VT |
$4,675Lowest 7% below VT |
$5,903Highest 17% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3 VT: 48.4% |
36.7%±16.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
19.8%±17.9Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Royalton 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% |
13% VT: 10.1% |
3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
63.5% VT: 73.2% |
79.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1965 11 yrs older than VT |
1981Highest 5 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
20 min 13% below VT |
26 minHighest 12% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
17.8%±7.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
12.7%±3.7 VT: 16.9% |
| Royalton and Sharon 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 | #48 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | White River Unified School District #79 | Sharon School District |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | White River Valley High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Highest |
8.7Lowest |
— |
| 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.