Compare towns
Bennington vs Hanover
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 oldest population (median age 44.7).
Hanover has the most expensive homes ($843k median).
Hanover is a college town. 49.8% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Hanover |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 15,249Highest |
8,479Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.7±2.3Highest 15% above U.S. |
21.8±0.3Lowest 44% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 17.7%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
9.8%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
89.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
49.8%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $59,446±$7kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$153,281±$26kHighest 90% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $213,300±$15kLowest 36% below U.S. |
$842,600±$97kHighest 153% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,133±$63Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$2,254±$249Highest 60% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,513Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.8%±14.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
72%±17.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hanover and Bennington 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% |
8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
62.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1974Highest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
19 minHighest 28% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
26.7%±6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #58 of 70 in VT | #1 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | — |
| High school in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.7 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.