Compare towns
Bennington vs Sheldon vs Windham
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).
Sheldon has the most kids (23.7% under 18).
Windham has the most people working from home (20.5%).
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 | Sheldon | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,249Highest |
2,267 |
594Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-2.5%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 44.7±2.3Highest 4% above VT |
40.9±3.5Lowest 5% below VT |
44.2±7.4 about the VT average |
| Bennington and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
23.7%±3.6Highest VT: 17.9% |
17.5%±7.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±2.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
12.6%±2.3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
23.2%±8.1 VT: 21.4% |
| Bennington and Windham 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% |
14.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
2%±1.3 VT: 7% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,446±$7kLowest 27% below VT |
$78,533±$25k 3% below VT |
$94,500±$12kHighest 16% above VT |
| Windham and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $213,300±$15kLowest 33% below VT |
$272,400±$61k 14% below VT |
$353,900±$20kHighest 12% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,133±$63Lowest 8% below VT |
$1,286±$379Highest 4% above VT |
— |
| Sheldon and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,513 10% below VT |
$3,578Lowest 29% below VT |
$5,951Highest 18% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
0%±27Lowest VT: 48.4% |
41.2%±94 VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.2%Highest VT: 10.1% |
5.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
9.9% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
89%Highest VT: 73.2% |
82.9% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 15 yrs older than VT |
1984Highest 8 yrs newer than VT |
1982 6 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 27% below VT |
25 min 7% above VT |
27 minHighest 14% above VT |
| Work from home | 15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
13%±3.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
20.5%±5.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Windham 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 | — | — |
| School district | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85 | — |
| 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 |
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.