Compare towns

Brattleboro vs Gray vs Barre

Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..

What stands out worked out from the figures below

Brattleboro has the most people working from home (17.9%).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Barre has the most affordable homes ($210k 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.

MeasureBrattleboroGrayBarre
People
Population
12,122Highest
8,429
8,412Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+1.1%
U.S.: +7.4%
+6.5%Highest
U.S.: +7.4%
-6.2%Lowest
U.S.: +7.4%
Median age
45.6±4.5Highest
17% above U.S.
43.4±4.5
12% above U.S.
42.2±6.6Lowest
8% above U.S.
Brattleboro and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18
19%±2.8Highest
U.S.: 22%
19%±4Highest
U.S.: 22%
13.5%±3.8Lowest
U.S.: 22%
Age 65+
25.5%±3.2Highest
U.S.: 17.2%
19.3%±4Lowest
U.S.: 17.2%
19.4%±3.9
U.S.: 17.2%
Brattleboro and Barre 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
U.S.: 35.7%
44.8%
U.S.: 35.7%
36.1%Lowest
U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
4.1%±1.6
U.S.: 6.4%
5.4%±2.2Highest
U.S.: 6.4%
3.4%±1.9Lowest
U.S.: 6.4%
Gray 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 U.S.
$95,236±$8kHighest
18% above U.S.
$65,625±$7k
19% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$257,300±$18k
23% below U.S.
$363,700±$20kHighest
9% above U.S.
$210,400±$15kLowest
37% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,074±$58Lowest
24% below U.S.
$1,371±$89Highest
about the U.S. average
$1,093±$58
23% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$5,700Highest
83% above U.S.
$3,683Lowest
18% above U.S.
$5,192
66% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
46.9%±9.6
U.S.: 51.1%
56.4%±24Highest
U.S.: 51.1%
34.4%±10.3Lowest
U.S.: 51.1%
Gray 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
U.S.: 12.5%
3.5%Lowest
U.S.: 12.5%
17.3%
U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
58.5%
U.S.: 65.2%
82.4%Highest
U.S.: 65.2%
50.4%Lowest
U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
1955
25 yrs older than U.S.
1983Highest
3 yrs newer than U.S.
1947Lowest
33 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
19 min
28% below U.S.
29 minHighest
8% above U.S.
19 minLowest
30% below U.S.
Work from home
17.9%±4Highest
U.S.: 15.1%
12.3%±3.5
U.S.: 15.1%
10.5%±4.1Lowest
U.S.: 15.1%
Brattleboro and Gray 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 #10 of 133 in ME #19 of 70 in VT
School district Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center
High school in town Brattleboro Union High School Gray-New Gloucester High School Spaulding Union High School
Students per teacherat that high school
9.0Lowest
12.5Highest
10.7
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History None yet None yet None yet

U.S. 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.