Compare towns
Bennington vs Dummerston vs Fair Haven
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 (41.6% rent).
Dummerston has the most people working from home (25.9%).
Fair Haven has the most affordable homes ($177k median).
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 | Dummerston | Fair Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,249Highest |
2,090Lowest |
2,724 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+0.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+0.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
45.6±11.7Highest 6% above VT |
39.2±7.6Lowest 9% below VT |
| Dummerston and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.7%±2.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
19.4%±5.1 VT: 17.9% |
| Dummerston and Fair Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±2.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
24.3%±3 VT: 21.4% |
18.4%±4.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Bennington and Dummerston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.9% VT: 43.8% |
58.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
23.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
4.1%±2.9 VT: 7% |
| Bennington and Fair Haven 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 27% below VT |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$62,404±$16k 23% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
$335,300±$22kHighest 6% above VT |
$176,500±$14kLowest 44% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,133±$63 8% below VT |
$1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
$830±$116Lowest 33% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,513 10% below VT |
$4,536Highest 10% below VT |
$3,865Lowest 23% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±20.9 VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Fair Haven 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% |
4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
18.9%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
80.6% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961 15 yrs older than VT |
1971Highest 5 yrs older than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 27% below VT |
21 min 11% below VT |
31 minHighest 31% above VT |
| Work from home | 15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
4.3%±2.5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Dummerston 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 | — | #66 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 |
| High school in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | None in town | Fair Haven Union Middle and High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.7Highest |
— | 12.8Lowest |
| 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.