Compare towns
Braintree vs Middlebury vs Ripton vs Rochester
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 affordable homes ($218k median).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Ripton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+25.7%).
Rochester has the most people working from home (40.8%).
Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Middlebury | Ripton | Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,026 |
9,175Highest |
508Lowest |
1,389 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7% VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-3.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 58.4±2.4Highest 35% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
53.3±7.6 24% above VT |
| Braintree and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 12.3%±3.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9 VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3 VT: 17.9% |
10.4%±3.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Braintree and Ripton 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% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1 VT: 21.4% |
31.5%±3.1 VT: 21.4% |
| Braintree and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
48% VT: 43.8% |
49% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.8%±1.3 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3 VT: 7% |
0.4%±0.6Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $79,803±$5k about the VT average |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$72,676±$8kLowest 11% below VT |
| Ripton and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $217,700±$28kLowest 31% below VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$394,400±$61k 25% above VT |
$253,600±$81k 20% below VT |
| Middlebury and Ripton 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 |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
— | $929±$158 25% below VT |
| Middlebury and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,908Lowest 22% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$4,915 about the VT average |
$3,977 21% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.4%±29.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
62.4%±27.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Rochester and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11.1% VT: 10.1% |
10.7% VT: 10.1% |
8.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
18.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
86.1% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
1976 same as VT |
1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1967Lowest 9 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
24 min about the VT average |
27 minHighest 17% above VT |
| Work from home | 19%±7.2 VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
40.8%±27.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Rochester and Braintree 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 | — | #17 of 70 in VT | — | — |
| School district | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Rochester Stockbridge Unified School District #81 |
| High school in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.6 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.