Compare towns
Barre vs Bennington vs Barre
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barre has grown the fastest since 2010 (0%).
Bennington has the most people working from home (15.1%).
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
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 | Bennington | Barre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,005Lowest |
15,249Highest |
8,412 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | 0%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
-6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 48.4±4.2Highest 12% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
| Barre and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±3.3 VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Bennington and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.7%±3.5 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Bennington and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9% VT: 43.8% |
36.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.2Lowest VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
| Bennington and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $93,210±$9kHighest 15% above VT |
$59,446±$7kLowest 27% below VT |
$65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $281,400±$13kHighest 11% below VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
$210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,524±$399Highest 24% above VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
$1,093±$58Lowest 11% below VT |
| Barre and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,737 6% below VT |
$4,513Lowest 10% below VT |
$5,192Highest 3% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.4%±20.4 VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.4%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Highest 2 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 4% below VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
19 min 21% below VT |
| Work from home | 13.7%±4.5 VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Bennington 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 | #58 of 70 in VT | #19 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | Spaulding Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.7Highest |
10.7Lowest |
| 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.