Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Dummerston vs Waitsfield
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 affordable homes ($257k median).
Dummerston has the highest household income ($102k).
Waitsfield has the oldest population (median age 74.8).
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 | Waitsfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,122Highest |
2,090 |
193Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+0.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5Lowest 6% above VT |
45.6±11.7Lowest 6% above VT |
74.8±13.4Highest 74% above VT |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
0%±14.7Lowest 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% |
71.5%±17.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.5%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
58.7% VT: 43.8% |
71.3%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6 VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
5.2%±9.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Waitsfield 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±$8k 28% below VT |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$26,384±$5kLowest 68% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $257,300±$18kLowest 19% below VT |
$335,300±$22k 6% above VT |
$453,100±$98kHighest 43% above VT |
| Waitsfield 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±$126Highest 13% above VT |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,700Highest 13% above VT |
$4,536Lowest 10% below VT |
$4,688 7% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6Highest VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2 VT: 48.4% |
41.1%±49.6Lowest 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% VT: 10.1% |
3.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5% VT: 73.2% |
92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
33.8%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1971 5 yrs older than VT |
1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 19% below VT |
21 minHighest 11% below VT |
14 minLowest 40% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3 VT: 16.9% |
31%±23.9Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Waitsfield 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 | — |
| High school in town | Brattleboro Union High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | 12 photos → |
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.