Compare towns
Braintree vs Barre vs Chelsea
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Braintree has the most people working from home (19%).
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Chelsea has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.4%).
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 | Braintree | Barre | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,026Lowest |
8,412Highest |
1,223 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1% VT: +2.8% |
-6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.4%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 58.4±2.4Highest 35% above VT |
42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average |
54.1±12.1 26% above VT |
| Braintree and Chelsea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.3%±3.2Lowest VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8 VT: 17.9% |
21.9%±5.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Chelsea and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 33.2%±3.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9Lowest VT: 21.4% |
29.4%±3.5 VT: 21.4% |
| Braintree and Chelsea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.9% VT: 43.8% |
36.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
29.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.8%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
4.8%±2.4Highest VT: 7% |
| Chelsea and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $79,803±$5kHighest about the VT average |
$65,625±$7kLowest 19% below VT |
$65,913±$13k 19% below VT |
| Braintree and Chelsea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $217,700±$28k 31% below VT |
$210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$260,900±$39kHighest 18% below VT |
| Chelsea and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $840±$405Lowest 32% below VT |
$1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$1,524±$467Highest 24% above VT |
| Chelsea and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,908 22% below VT |
$5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$3,762Lowest 25% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.4%±29.4 VT: 48.4% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
66.3%±33.2Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Chelsea and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
14.3% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81% VT: 73.2% |
50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
81.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1967 9 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% above VT |
19 minLowest 21% below VT |
30 minHighest 28% above VT |
| Work from home | 19%±7.2Highest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
12.6%±7.8 VT: 16.9% |
| Braintree and Chelsea 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 | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | First Branch Unified School District #82 |
| High school in town | None 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.