Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Dummerston vs Wilder vs Bennington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brattleboro has the most renters (49.3% rent).
Dummerston has the most people working from home (25.9%).
Wilder has grown the fastest since 2010 (+81.7%).
Bennington has the most affordable homes ($213k 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 | Brattleboro | Dummerston | Wilder | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,657 |
2,090Lowest |
3,087 |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.8% VT: +2.8% |
+0.1% VT: +2.8% |
+81.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 44.3±5.9Lowest about the VT average |
45.6±11.7Highest 6% above VT |
45.5±8.9 6% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Dummerston and Wilder are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20%±4.1 VT: 17.9% |
21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±4.1Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Dummerston and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 24.8%±4.2 VT: 21.4% |
24.3%±3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
27.3%±4.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Wilder and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.2% VT: 43.8% |
58.7% VT: 43.8% |
60.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±2.4 VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
8.1%±3.9Highest VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6 VT: 7% |
| Wilder and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $52,734±$12kLowest 35% below VT |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$75,143±$9k 7% below VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Dummerston and Wilder are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $234,600±$20k 26% below VT |
$335,300±$22kHighest 6% above VT |
$273,200±$18k 14% below VT |
$213,300±$15kLowest 33% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,113±$67Lowest 10% below VT |
$1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
$1,142±$451 7% below VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
| Dummerston and Wilder are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,490 9% above VT |
$4,536 10% below VT |
$5,505Highest 9% above VT |
$4,513Lowest 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.1%±9.5 VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2 VT: 48.4% |
39.9%±17.2Lowest VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 21.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
9.3% VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
62.9% VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1971 5 yrs older than VT |
1983Highest 7 yrs newer than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 15 minLowest 35% below VT |
21 minHighest 11% below VT |
17 min 29% below VT |
17 min 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 11.8%±5.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
12.6%±6.7 VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| Dummerston and Bennington 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 | #33 of 70 in VT | — | — | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | — | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 14.7 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → | 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.