What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bethlehem has the most people working from home (31.2%).

Bennington has the most affordable homes ($213k 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.

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

Measure	Bethlehem	Bennington
People
Population	2,537Lowest	15,249Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	50.6±8.5Highest 30% above U.S.	44.7±2.3Lowest 15% above U.S.
	Bethlehem and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.7%±5.4 U.S.: 22%	17.7%±2.3 U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	28.2%±5.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%	25.2%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bethlehem and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	45.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	36.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0.9%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$85,029±$18kHighest 5% above U.S.	$59,446±$7kLowest 26% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$288,300±$22kHighest 13% below U.S.	$213,300±$15kLowest 36% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,174±$81Highest 17% below U.S.	$1,133±$63Lowest 20% below U.S.
	Bethlehem and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,418Highest 74% above U.S.	$4,513Lowest 45% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41.3%±18.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Bennington and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	13.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Highest 7 yrs older than U.S.	1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minHighest 23% below U.S.	17 minLowest 35% below U.S.
Work from home	31.2%±12.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%	15.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Bethlehem 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	#34 of 120 in NH	#58 of 70 in VT
School district	Bethlehem School District · Profile School District	Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87
High school in town	Profile Senior High School	Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School
Students per teacherat that high school	8.9Lowest	14.7Highest
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.