Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Cavendish vs Sharon
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 (41.5% rent).
Cavendish has the highest household income ($89k).
Sharon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.9%).
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 | Cavendish | Sharon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,122Highest |
1,242Lowest |
1,577 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+1.8% VT: +2.8% |
+3.9%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5Highest 6% above VT |
45.2±5.9Lowest 5% above VT |
45.6±7.7Highest 6% above VT |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
18.3%±4.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
21%±5Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Sharon and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.5%±3.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
23.6%±2Lowest VT: 21.4% |
25.1%±3.6 VT: 21.4% |
| Brattleboro and Sharon 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% |
39.3% VT: 43.8% |
37.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6 VT: 7% |
4.3%±1.9Highest VT: 7% |
1.5%±0.9Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cavendish 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 |
$89,063±$29kHighest 10% above VT |
$84,375±$17k 4% above VT |
| Cavendish and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $257,300±$18kLowest 19% below VT |
$285,100±$40k 10% below VT |
$346,700±$37kHighest 10% above VT |
| Sharon and Cavendish 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 |
$1,000±$546Lowest 19% below VT |
$1,386±$155Highest 12% above VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,700 13% above VT |
$3,948Lowest 22% below VT |
$5,903Highest 17% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6Highest VT: 48.4% |
28.9%±27 VT: 48.4% |
19.8%±17.9Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Brattleboro and Cavendish 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% |
6.3% VT: 10.1% |
3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
81.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
79.7% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1968 8 yrs older than VT |
1981Highest 5 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 19% below VT |
19 minLowest 21% below VT |
26 minHighest 12% above VT |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4 VT: 16.9% |
18.5%±6.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
12.7%±3.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Cavendish 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 | Green Mountain Unified School District #77 | Sharon School District |
| High school in town | Brattleboro Union High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 12 photos → | 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.