Compare towns
Bennington vs Springfield vs Sutton vs Brattleboro
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 shortest commute (17 min average).
Springfield has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Sutton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Brattleboro has the most people working from home (17.9%).
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 | Springfield | Sutton | Brattleboro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 15,249Highest |
9,084 |
2,239Lowest |
12,122 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.7±2.3 15% above U.S. |
43.2±3.7Lowest 11% above U.S. |
48.1±4.1Highest 24% above U.S. |
45.6±4.5 17% above U.S. |
| Sutton and Brattleboro 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% |
18.6%±3.4 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
19%±2.8 U.S.: 22% |
| Sutton and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
23.6%±3.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
21.6%±5.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brattleboro and Bennington 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% |
23.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.3%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±3.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bennington and Sutton 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. |
$66,571±$13k 18% below U.S. |
$130,313±$31kHighest 61% above U.S. |
$58,241±$8kLowest 28% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $213,300±$15k 36% below U.S. |
$192,400±$20kLowest 42% below U.S. |
$362,600±$16kHighest 9% above U.S. |
$257,300±$18k 23% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,133±$63 20% below U.S. |
$963±$100Lowest 32% below U.S. |
$1,656±$614Highest 17% above U.S. |
$1,074±$58 24% below U.S. |
| Sutton and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,513Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$4,807 54% above U.S. |
$7,652Highest 145% above U.S. |
$5,700 83% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
49.6%±15.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
27.6%±47.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±9.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bennington and Springfield 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% |
14.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
95.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1958 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
27 min 3% above U.S. |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
19 min 28% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15.1%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
15.1%±5.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.9%±4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brattleboro 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 | #64 of 70 in VT | — | #33 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | River Valley Technical Center · Springfield School District | Kearsarge Regional School District | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 |
| High school in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | Springfield High School | Kearsarge Regional High School | Brattleboro Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.7Highest |
14.3 |
10.4 |
9.0Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.