Compare towns
Barton vs Barre vs Orleans
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barton has the most people working from home (16.5%).
Barre has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Orleans has grown the fastest since 2010 (-3.7%).
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 | Barton | Barre | Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 730Lowest |
8,412Highest |
809 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.4%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-6.2% VT: +2.8% |
-3.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 40±5.5Lowest 7% below VT |
42.2±6.6Highest about the VT average |
41.7±5.8 3% below VT |
| Barre and Orleans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 24.1%±5.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.9%±4.5 VT: 17.9% |
| Barton and Orleans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.2%±4.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9Lowest VT: 21.4% |
19.7%±3.2 VT: 21.4% |
| Barton and Orleans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
36.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
24.8% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.9%±1.6Lowest VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
3.7%±2.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Orleans and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $40,833±$8kLowest 50% below VT |
$65,625±$7kHighest 19% below VT |
$57,159±$10k 30% below VT |
| Barre and Orleans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $146,900±$30kLowest 54% below VT |
$210,400±$15kHighest 34% below VT |
$156,300±$18k 51% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $761±$150Lowest 38% below VT |
$1,093±$58Highest 11% below VT |
$810±$94 34% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,185 37% below VT |
$5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$3,019Lowest 40% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 58.8%±18.2Highest VT: 48.4% |
34.4%±10.3 VT: 48.4% |
27.3%±17.2Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Barton and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 25.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
17.3% VT: 10.1% |
8.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7% VT: 73.2% |
50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
64.1%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945 31 yrs older than VT |
1947Highest 29 yrs older than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 32% above VT |
19 minLowest 21% below VT |
31 minHighest 33% above VT |
| Work from home | 16.5%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
8.3%±3.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Barton 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 | #38 of 70 in VT | #19 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — |
| High school in town | — | Spaulding Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7 |
— |
| 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.