Compare towns
Barre vs St. Albans vs Stratton
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).
St. Albans has the most people working from home (12.1%).
Stratton has the highest household income ($123k).
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 | St. Albans | Stratton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
6,954 |
532Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Highest about the VT average |
38.7±2 10% below VT |
31.5±4.1Lowest 27% 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%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
20.5%±3.7 VT: 17.9% |
28%±7.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Stratton and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9Highest VT: 21.4% |
13.9%±2.5 VT: 21.4% |
11.7%±4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Barre and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
31.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
33.2% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9Highest VT: 7% |
2.7%±1.6 VT: 7% |
1.3%±2.8Lowest VT: 7% |
| Barre and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
$57,980±$7kLowest 29% below VT |
$122,708±$33kHighest 51% above VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$263,400±$18k 17% below VT |
$400,000±$50kHighest 26% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 11% below VT |
$1,150±$78 7% below VT |
$1,208±$979Highest about the VT average |
| Stratton and St. Albans 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 |
$4,436Lowest 12% below VT |
$4,750 6% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3 VT: 48.4% |
51.8%±11.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
12%±69.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| St. Albans and Barre 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% |
19.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
0%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4% VT: 73.2% |
49%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
73.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 29 yrs older than VT |
1945Lowest 31 yrs older than VT |
1988Highest 12 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
23 min 4% below VT |
33 minHighest 39% above VT |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
12.1%±3.5Highest VT: 16.9% |
3.3%±3.5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| St. Albans and Barre 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 | #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 | 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.