Compare towns
Bennington vs Ripton vs Windham vs Rutland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bennington has the most renters (45.3% rent).
Ripton has the highest household income ($113k).
Windham has the most people working from home (20.5%).
Rutland has the shortest commute (16 min average).
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 | Bennington | Ripton | Windham | Rutland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,245 |
508Lowest |
594 |
15,712Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1% VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— | -4.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 44.5±3 3% above VT |
47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
44.2±7.4Lowest about the VT average |
49±2.1Highest 14% above VT |
| Rutland and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.8%±3 VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.5%±7.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
15.5%±2.4 VT: 17.9% |
| Windham and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 26.9%±3.8 VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
23.2%±8.1Lowest VT: 21.4% |
26.2%±3.1 VT: 21.4% |
| Ripton and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.5% VT: 43.8% |
48% VT: 43.8% |
48.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
33.4%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.6%±2.4 VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3Highest VT: 7% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
2.2%±0.8 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $54,257±$12kLowest 33% below VT |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$94,500±$12k 16% above VT |
$57,675±$8k 29% below VT |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $191,700±$28k 39% below VT |
$394,400±$61kHighest 25% above VT |
$353,900±$20k 12% above VT |
$185,500±$16kLowest 41% below VT |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,115±$57Highest 10% below VT |
— | — | $995±$65Lowest 19% below VT |
| Bennington and Rutland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,331Lowest 14% below VT |
$4,915 about the VT average |
$5,951Highest 18% above VT |
$4,657 8% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 70.4%±17.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
41.2%±94Lowest VT: 48.4% |
51.6%±8.2 VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11.4% VT: 10.1% |
8.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
9.9% VT: 10.1% |
15.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 54.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
82.9% VT: 73.2% |
54.9% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954 22 yrs older than VT |
1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1982Highest 6 yrs newer than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 min 27% below VT |
24 min about the VT average |
27 minHighest 14% above VT |
16 minLowest 32% below VT |
| Work from home | 12.6%±5.8 VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7 VT: 16.9% |
20.5%±5.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
8.1%±2.6Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Windham and Ripton 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 | #58 of 70 in VT | — | — | #51 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — | Rutland City School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — | Rutland Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 12.3 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.