Compare towns
Bennington vs Guildhall vs Lancaster
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 the most people working from home (15.1%).
Guildhall has the highest household income ($115k).
Lancaster has the oldest population (median age 45.5).
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 | Guildhall | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,249Highest |
371Lowest |
3,216 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | -8.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.7±2.3 15% above U.S. |
42.6±7.8Lowest 10% above U.S. |
45.5±6.9Highest 17% above U.S. |
| Lancaster 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 U.S.: 22% |
22.6%±7.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.9%±6.1 U.S.: 22% |
| Guildhall and Lancaster 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% |
26.1%±5.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
28.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Lancaster and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
33.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
30.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bennington and Lancaster 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. |
$115,000±$46kHighest 42% above U.S. |
$68,911±$23k 15% below U.S. |
| Guildhall and Lancaster 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. |
$321,200±$62kHighest 3% below U.S. |
$215,700±$24k 35% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,133±$63Highest 20% below U.S. |
$850±$717Lowest 40% below U.S. |
$1,019±$263 28% below U.S. |
| Bennington and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,513 45% above U.S. |
$4,625Highest 48% above U.S. |
$4,226Lowest 35% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.8%±14.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
75%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
36.1%±17Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Guildhall and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Highest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1958 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1942Lowest 38 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
25 minHighest 5% below U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15.1%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.5%±6.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bennington and Lancaster 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 | — | #107 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | — | White Mountains Regional School District |
| High school in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | — | 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.