Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Busti vs Dummerston
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 the most renters (41.5% rent).
Busti has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.6%).
Dummerston has the highest household income ($102k).
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 | Busti | Dummerston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,122Highest |
7,452 |
2,090Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5Lowest 17% above U.S. |
46.6±4.8Highest 20% above U.S. |
45.6±11.7Lowest 17% above U.S. |
| Busti and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
21.7%±6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Dummerston and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.5%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.8%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.3%±3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brattleboro and Dummerston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
29.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
58.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Brattleboro and Busti 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. |
$67,292±$9k 17% below U.S. |
$101,696±$21kHighest 26% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $257,300±$18k 23% below U.S. |
$164,600±$12kLowest 51% below U.S. |
$335,300±$22kHighest about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,074±$58Lowest 24% below U.S. |
$1,085±$106 23% below U.S. |
$1,392±$126Highest about the U.S. average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,700Highest 83% above U.S. |
$3,876Lowest 24% above U.S. |
$4,536 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.5%±13.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.1%±32.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Busti and Brattleboro 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% |
14.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
92.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1963 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 28% below U.S. |
21 minHighest 20% below U.S. |
21 min 21% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
9.5%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
25.9%±10.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Dummerston and Brattleboro 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 | — | — |
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | — | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 |
| High school in town | Brattleboro Union High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.