Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Dummerston vs Hartford 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 oldest housing (typical home built 1955).
Dummerston has the most people working from home (25.9%).
Hartford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.4%).
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 | Dummerston | Hartford | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 12,122 |
2,090Lowest |
10,736 |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1% VT: +2.8% |
+0.1% VT: +2.8% |
+7.4%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5Highest 6% above VT |
45.6±11.7Highest 6% above VT |
43.2±3.9Lowest about the VT average |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
18%±3 VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Dummerston 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% |
24.3%±3 VT: 21.4% |
22.5%±3.3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Brattleboro and Bennington 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% |
58.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
47.6% VT: 43.8% |
36.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6 VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
4.9%±1.7 VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
| Bennington and Hartford 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 |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$78,125±$7k 4% below VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Dummerston and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $257,300±$18k 19% below VT |
$335,300±$22kHighest 6% above VT |
$304,500±$26k 4% below VT |
$213,300±$15kLowest 33% below VT |
| Dummerston and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,074±$58Lowest 13% below VT |
$1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
$1,218±$118 about the VT average |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
| Dummerston and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,700 13% above VT |
$4,536 10% below VT |
$5,773Highest 15% above VT |
$4,513Lowest 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6 VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2Lowest VT: 48.4% |
44.6%±12.7 VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington 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 VT: 10.1% |
4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
11.1% VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5% VT: 73.2% |
92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
67.8% VT: 73.2% |
58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1971 5 yrs older than VT |
1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 19% below VT |
21 minHighest 11% below VT |
18 min 22% below VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4 VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
13.9%±3.5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| 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 | — | #34 of 70 in VT | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Hartford School District | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Brattleboro Union High School | None in town | Hartford High School | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Lowest |
— | 9.6 |
14.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.