Compare towns
Bennington vs Brattleboro vs Dummerston vs Sandgate
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 shortest commute (17 min average).
Brattleboro has the oldest housing (typical home built 1955).
Dummerston has the highest household income ($102k).
Sandgate has the most people working from home (34.6%).
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 | Brattleboro | Dummerston | Sandgate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 15,249Highest |
12,122 |
2,090 |
435Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+1.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+0.1% VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 44.7±2.3Lowest 4% above VT |
45.6±4.5 6% above VT |
45.6±11.7 6% above VT |
55.7±5.4Highest 29% above VT |
| Kids under 18 | 17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
13.1%±7.5Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Dummerston and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
25.5%±3.2 VT: 21.4% |
24.3%±3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
26%±11.3Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Sandgate and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
46.5% VT: 43.8% |
58.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
37.8% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
4.1%±1.6 VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
2.3%±2.4 VT: 7% |
| Bennington and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
$58,241±$8kLowest 28% below VT |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$69,167±$19k 15% below VT |
| Dummerston and Sandgate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
$257,300±$18k 19% below VT |
$335,300±$22kHighest 6% above VT |
$193,800±$31kLowest 39% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,133±$63 8% below VT |
$1,074±$58Lowest 13% below VT |
$1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,513 10% below VT |
$5,700Highest 13% above VT |
$4,536 10% below VT |
$2,778Lowest 45% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
46.9%±9.6 VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2 VT: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 13.2% VT: 10.1% |
17.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
9.7% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
58.5% VT: 73.2% |
92.9% VT: 73.2% |
94.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961 15 yrs older than VT |
1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1971Highest 5 yrs older than VT |
1959 17 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 27% below VT |
19 min 19% below VT |
21 min 11% below VT |
27 minHighest 16% above VT |
| Work from home | 15.1%±4.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
17.9%±4 VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3 VT: 16.9% |
34.6%±32.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Sandgate and Dummerston 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 | #33 of 70 in VT | — | — |
| School district | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | — |
| High school in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | Brattleboro Union High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.7Highest |
9.0Lowest |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.