Compare towns
Bennington vs Benson vs Putnam
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bennington has grown the fastest since 2010 (-2.7%).
Benson has the most people working from home (18.6%).
Putnam has the most homeowners (95.9%).
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 | Benson | Putnam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,249Highest |
784 |
540Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-7.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-6.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.7±2.3Lowest 15% above U.S. |
51.9±9.4 33% above U.S. |
53.6±6.4Highest 38% above U.S. |
| Putnam and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.7%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.5%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17.4%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Bennington and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
35.6%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
32.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
31.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.8%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Benson and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,446±$7kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$78,625±$8k about the U.S. average |
$92,344±$14kHighest 14% above U.S. |
| Putnam and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $213,300±$15kLowest 36% below U.S. |
$242,000±$26k 27% below U.S. |
$266,200±$48kHighest 20% below U.S. |
| Putnam and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,133±$63Highest 20% below U.S. |
$1,113±$170Lowest 21% below U.S. |
— |
| Bennington and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,513Highest 45% above U.S. |
$4,125 32% above U.S. |
$3,674Lowest 18% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
53.4%±35.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bennington and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
95.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
21 min 19% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15.1%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.6%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8.6%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Benson and Bennington 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 | — | — |
| School district | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | PUTNAM CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.7 |
— | — |
| 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.