What stands out worked out from the figures below

Brandon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.1%).

Washburn has the most affordable homes ($113k 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	Brandon	Washburn
People
Population	4,120Highest	1,355Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-9.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	50.1±3.1Highest 29% above U.S.	48.2±7.7Lowest 24% above U.S.
	Brandon and Washburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.2%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	21.7%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Washburn and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.3%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	24%±3.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Washburn and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	32.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	26%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.5%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.6%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Washburn and Brandon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$64,180±$12kHighest 21% below U.S.	$56,196±$6kLowest 30% below U.S.
	Brandon and Washburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$227,800±$23kHighest 32% below U.S.	$112,900±$14kLowest 66% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,064±$225Highest 25% below U.S.	$482±$62Lowest 66% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,241Highest 36% above U.S.	$1,571Lowest 50% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41.7%±15.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%	33.3%±24.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Brandon and Washburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	12.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	78.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S.	1969Highest 11 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 10% below U.S.	21 minLowest 21% below U.S.
Work from home	9.9%±5.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	9.7%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Brandon and Washburn 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	#69 of 70 in VT	—
School district	Otter Valley Unified Union School District #53	RSU 45/MSAD 45
High school in town	Otter Valley Union High School	Washburn District High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.9Lowest	12.0Highest
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.