Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Alstead vs Bennington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brattleboro has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.1%).
Alstead has the most homeowners (76%).
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 | Alstead | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,122 |
1,551Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5 17% above U.S. |
56±3.3Highest 44% above U.S. |
44.7±2.3Lowest 15% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.3%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Brattleboro and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.5%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Alstead and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bennington and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $58,241±$8kLowest 28% below U.S. |
$64,526±$11kHighest 20% below U.S. |
$59,446±$7k 26% below U.S. |
| Alstead and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $257,300±$18k 23% below U.S. |
$271,600±$37kHighest 18% below U.S. |
$213,300±$15kLowest 36% below U.S. |
| Alstead and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,074±$58Lowest 24% below U.S. |
— | $1,133±$63Highest 20% below U.S. |
| Bennington and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,700Highest 83% above U.S. |
$5,322 71% above U.S. |
$4,513Lowest 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
72.1%±22.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
68.8%±14.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Alstead and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
76%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1973Highest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 28% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.1%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brattleboro 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 | Fall Mountain Regional School District | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Brattleboro Union High School | None in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Lowest |
— | 14.7Highest |
| 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.