Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Barnet 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.1%).
Barnet has the most homeowners (79.9%).
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 | Barnet | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,122 |
1,855Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.6% VT: +2.8% |
-2.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5 6% above VT |
47.7±5.3Highest 11% above VT |
44.7±2.3Lowest 4% above VT |
| Barnet and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
21.6%±4.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Barnet and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.5%±3.2 VT: 21.4% |
28.8%±3.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Barnet 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 VT: 43.8% |
35.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
36.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6 VT: 7% |
1%±0.9Lowest VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
| 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 VT |
$67,386±$15kHighest 17% below VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Barnet 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±$18kHighest 19% below VT |
$247,900±$24k 22% below VT |
$213,300±$15kLowest 33% below VT |
| Brattleboro and Barnet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,074±$58 13% below VT |
$974±$72Lowest 21% below VT |
$1,133±$63Highest 8% below VT |
| 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 13% above VT |
$4,489Lowest 11% below VT |
$4,513 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6Lowest VT: 48.4% |
59.3%±29.9 VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Barnet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
8.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5% VT: 73.2% |
79.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1974Highest 2 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 19% below VT |
28 minHighest 17% above VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4Highest VT: 16.9% |
13.3%±4.5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| 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 | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 | 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 History | 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.