Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Castleton vs Ripton 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 people working from home (17.9%).
Castleton has the youngest population (median age 38.3).
Ripton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+25.7%).
Bennington has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Castleton | Ripton | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 12,122 |
4,453 |
508Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1% VT: +2.8% |
-5.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5 6% above VT |
38.3±4.3Lowest 11% below VT |
47.7±14.2Highest 11% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Ripton and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8Highest VT: 17.9% |
18.8%±6.4 VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Brattleboro and Castleton 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% |
20.7%±4.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Ripton 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% VT: 43.8% |
37.9% VT: 43.8% |
48%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6Lowest VT: 7% |
19.3%±1.8 VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3Highest VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6 VT: 7% |
| Ripton and Castleton 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 |
$73,854±$23k 9% below VT |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $257,300±$18k 19% below VT |
$224,800±$71k 29% below VT |
$394,400±$61kHighest 25% above VT |
$213,300±$15kLowest 33% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,074±$58Lowest 13% below VT |
$1,137±$195Highest 8% below VT |
— | $1,133±$63 8% below VT |
| Castleton and Bennington 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 |
$3,167Lowest 37% below VT |
$4,915 about the VT average |
$4,513 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6Lowest VT: 48.4% |
67.7%±21.9 VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Castleton 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% |
12.5% VT: 10.1% |
8.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5% VT: 73.2% |
79% VT: 73.2% |
90.9%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 |
1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 19% below VT |
19 min 17% below VT |
24 minHighest about the VT average |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4Highest VT: 16.9% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7 VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| Brattleboro and Ripton 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 | #39 of 70 in VT | — | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Brattleboro Union High School | None in town | 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 | 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.