Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Dummerston vs Marlboro
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).
Dummerston has the highest household income ($102k).
Marlboro has grown the fastest since 2010 (+59.7%).
Marlboro is a college town. 42.7% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Marlboro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,122Highest |
2,090 |
1,362Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1% VT: +2.8% |
+0.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+59.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5Highest 6% above VT |
45.6±11.7Highest 6% above VT |
22.7±2.1Lowest 47% below VT |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
12%±3.2Lowest 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% |
18.8%±3.7Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| 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%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
58.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
53.7% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6 VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
42.7%±4.8Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $58,241±$8kLowest 28% below VT |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$77,135±$10k 5% below VT |
| Dummerston and Marlboro 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 |
$335,300±$22k 6% above VT |
$357,300±$55kHighest 13% above VT |
| Marlboro and Dummerston 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±$126 13% above VT |
$1,600±$824Highest 30% above VT |
| Marlboro and Dummerston 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 |
$4,536Lowest 10% below VT |
$5,640 12% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6Highest VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2 VT: 48.4% |
39.1%±43.6Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Brattleboro and Dummerston 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% |
7.9% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
84.6% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1971 5 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 19% below VT |
21 minHighest 11% below VT |
17 minLowest 26% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3 VT: 16.9% |
26%±11.2Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Marlboro and Dummerston 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 | Marlboro 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 Our Story | 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.