Compare towns
Bennington vs Nelson vs St. Johnsbury
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%).
Nelson has the most people working from home (31.5%).
St. Johnsbury has the most affordable homes ($178k 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 | Nelson | St. Johnsbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,249Highest |
648Lowest |
7,368 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-13.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.7±2.3Highest 15% above U.S. |
42.3±11.7Lowest 9% above U.S. |
42.8±3.8 10% above U.S. |
| Bennington and St. Johnsbury 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% |
27.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
21%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Nelson and St. Johnsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.8%±2 U.S.: 17.2% |
21.1%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bennington and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
61.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bennington and St. Johnsbury 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 26% below U.S. |
$99,792±$23kHighest 24% above U.S. |
$57,738±$9kLowest 28% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $213,300±$15k 36% below U.S. |
$340,900±$49kHighest about the U.S. average |
$177,700±$17kLowest 47% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,133±$63 20% below U.S. |
$1,203±$243Highest 15% below U.S. |
$914±$44Lowest 35% below U.S. |
| Nelson and Bennington 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. |
$5,575Highest 79% above U.S. |
$3,916Lowest 26% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40%±68.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48%±11 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bennington and St. Johnsbury 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% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
59.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1944Lowest 36 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
20 min 26% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
31.5%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.6%±4.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #58 of 70 in VT | — | #60 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Nelson 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.