Compare towns
Bloomfield vs Barre vs Sheffield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bloomfield has the most kids (27.4% under 18).
Barre has the most people working from home (10.5%).
Sheffield has the most affordable homes ($172k 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 | Bloomfield | Barre | Sheffield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 234Lowest |
8,412Highest |
573 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-3%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 41.9±12Lowest about the VT average |
42.2±6.6Highest about the VT average |
42±8 about the VT average |
| Barre and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 27.4%±14.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.1%±6.6 VT: 17.9% |
| Bloomfield and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±8Highest VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
19.2%±4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Bloomfield and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.7% VT: 43.8% |
36.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
27.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±4.5Lowest VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
5.9%±4.7Highest VT: 7% |
| Sheffield and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $54,375±$17kLowest 33% below VT |
$65,625±$7kHighest 19% below VT |
$58,333±$26k 28% below VT |
| Barre and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $190,600±$63k 40% below VT |
$210,400±$15kHighest 34% below VT |
$171,900±$50kLowest 46% below VT |
| Barre and Bloomfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,093±$58Highest 11% below VT |
$967±$79Lowest 22% below VT |
| Barre and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,800 44% below VT |
$5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$2,123Lowest 58% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
61.5%±41.2Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Sheffield and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
6.6% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.2% VT: 73.2% |
50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
83.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981 5 yrs newer than VT |
1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1987Highest 11 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 28% above VT |
19 minLowest 21% below VT |
30 minHighest 28% above VT |
| Work from home | 4.6%±4.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
6.1%±2.7 VT: 16.9% |
| Barre and Sheffield 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 | — | #19 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64 |
| High school in town | — | Spaulding Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7 |
— |
| 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.