What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bennington has the most affordable homes ($213k median).

Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bennington	Topsham
People
Population	15,249Highest	9,706Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+8.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	44.7±2.3 15% above U.S.	44.7±4 15% above U.S.
Kids under 18	17.7%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.9%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Topsham and Bennington 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%	24.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bennington and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	36.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	50%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Bennington and Topsham 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.	$91,028±$10kHighest 13% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$213,300±$15kLowest 36% below U.S.	$360,800±$20kHighest 8% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,133±$63Lowest 20% below U.S.	$1,355±$642Highest 4% below U.S.
	Topsham and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,513Highest 45% above U.S.	$4,259Lowest 37% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%	40.3%±12.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	13.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	78.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	17 minLowest 35% below U.S.	24 minHighest 11% below U.S.
Work from home	15.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	17.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Topsham 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	#66 of 133 in ME
School district	Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87	RSU 75/MSAD 75
High school in town	Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School	Mt Ararat High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.7Highest	12.2Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.