Compare towns
Barre vs Sidney vs Middlesex
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 renters (49.6% rent).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Middlesex has the most people working from home (28.4%).
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 | Sidney | Middlesex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
4,790 |
1,943Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Lowest 8% above U.S. |
43±5.5 11% above U.S. |
44.4±3.9Highest 14% above U.S. |
| Middlesex and Sidney 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% |
23.1%±5.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
21.3%±3.1 U.S.: 22% |
| Sidney and Middlesex 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% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±3.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Middlesex 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
33.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.2%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Middlesex 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 U.S. |
$83,488±$10k 3% above U.S. |
$109,632±$13kHighest 36% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$336,200±$34k about the U.S. average |
$376,300±$40kHighest 13% above U.S. |
| Middlesex and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,340±$304Highest 5% below U.S. |
$1,333±$359 6% below U.S. |
| Sidney and Middlesex are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192 66% above U.S. |
$2,474Lowest 21% below U.S. |
$6,483Highest 108% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
16.4%±17.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Barre and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
89.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
96.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1996Highest 16 yrs newer than U.S. |
1986 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
27 minHighest 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.3%±5.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
28.4%±10.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Middlesex and Sidney 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 | #15 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | RSU 18 | Washington Central Unified Union School District #92 |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.