Compare towns
Barre vs St. Albans vs Sunapee
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 affordable homes ($210k median).
St. Albans has the most kids (20.5% under 18).
Sunapee has the highest household income ($101k).
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 | Sunapee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
6,954 |
3,416Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 8% above U.S. |
38.7±2Lowest about the U.S. average |
56.7±1.4Highest 46% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 13.5%±3.8 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
9.9%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| St. Albans and Barre 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% |
13.9%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
33.3%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
31.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
50.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±3.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Sunapee 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±$7k 19% below U.S. |
$57,980±$7kLowest 28% below U.S. |
$101,393±$20kHighest 26% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$263,400±$18k 21% below U.S. |
$393,000±$51kHighest 18% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,150±$78 19% below U.S. |
$1,713±$451Highest 21% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192Highest 66% above U.S. |
$4,436 42% above U.S. |
$4,400Lowest 41% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.8%±11.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
34.6%±10.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| St. Albans and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
19.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
49%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
33 minHighest 24% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±3.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.5%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| 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 | #14 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 | Sunapee School District |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) | Sunapee Sr. High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
11.4 |
11.9Highest |
| 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.