Compare towns
Braintree vs Northfield vs Sutton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Braintree has the most people working from home (19%).
Northfield has the youngest population (median age 36.4).
Sutton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
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 | Northfield | Sutton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,026Lowest |
5,920Highest |
2,239 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
-4.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 58.4±2.4Highest 50% above U.S. |
36.4±4.1Lowest 6% below U.S. |
48.1±4.1 24% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 12.3%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.6%±3.7 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Sutton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 33.2%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.6%±5.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.8%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
15.1%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±3.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $79,803±$5k about the U.S. average |
$71,768±$13kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$130,313±$31kHighest 61% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $217,700±$28kLowest 35% below U.S. |
$274,400±$21k 18% below U.S. |
$362,600±$16kHighest 9% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $840±$405Lowest 41% below U.S. |
$1,018±$207 28% below U.S. |
$1,656±$614Highest 17% above U.S. |
| Sutton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,908Lowest 25% above U.S. |
$4,878 56% above U.S. |
$7,652Highest 145% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.4%±29.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
63.3%±17.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
27.6%±47.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Northfield and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
95.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
27 min 3% above U.S. |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 19%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Braintree and Sutton 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 | — | #42 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | Paine Mountain Union School District #68 | Kearsarge Regional School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Northfield Middle/High School | Kearsarge Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.0Lowest |
10.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.