Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Dummerston vs Sandgate 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 highest household income ($102k).
Sandgate has the most people working from home (34.6%).
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 | Dummerston | Sandgate | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 12,122 |
2,090 |
435Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+0.1% VT: +2.8% |
— | -2.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5 6% above VT |
45.6±11.7 6% above VT |
55.7±5.4Highest 29% above VT |
44.7±2.3Lowest 4% above VT |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
13.1%±7.5Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 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%±3.2 VT: 21.4% |
24.3%±3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
26%±11.3Highest VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Sandgate 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% |
58.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
37.8% 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% |
2.3%±2.4 VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
| Bennington 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 |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$69,167±$19k 15% below VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Dummerston and Sandgate 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 |
$193,800±$31kLowest 39% below VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,074±$58Lowest 13% below VT |
$1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
— | $1,133±$63 8% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,700Highest 13% above VT |
$4,536 10% below VT |
$2,778Lowest 45% below VT |
$4,513 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6 VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2 VT: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest 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% |
9.7% VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5% VT: 73.2% |
92.9% VT: 73.2% |
94.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1971Highest 5 yrs older than VT |
1959 17 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 19% below VT |
21 min 11% below VT |
27 minHighest 16% above VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4 VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3 VT: 16.9% |
34.6%±32.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Sandgate 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 | — | — | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | — | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Brattleboro Union High School | None in town | — | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Lowest |
— | — | 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.