Compare towns
Brattleboro 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).
Wilder has grown the fastest since 2010 (+81.7%).
Bennington has the most people working from home (15.1%).
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 | Wilder | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,657 |
3,087Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.8% 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 |
45.5±8.9Highest 6% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Wilder and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20%±4.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±4.1Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Brattleboro and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.8%±4.2Lowest 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% |
60.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±2.4Lowest 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 |
$75,143±$9kHighest 7% below VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Wilder and Bennington 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 |
$273,200±$18kHighest 14% below VT |
$213,300±$15kLowest 33% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,113±$67Lowest 10% below VT |
$1,142±$451Highest 7% below VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
| Wilder and Bennington 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 |
$5,505Highest 9% above VT |
$4,513Lowest 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.1%±9.5 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% |
9.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
62.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 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 |
17 min 29% below VT |
17 minHighest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 11.8%±5.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
12.6%±6.7 VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Bennington and Wilder 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 | — | — | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | — | — | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 14.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.