Compare towns

Brattleboro vs Henniker vs Bennington

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%).
Henniker has grown the fastest since 2010 (+27.9%).
Bennington has the most affordable homes ($213k median).
Henniker is a college town. 27% 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.

MeasureBrattleboroHennikerBennington
People
Population
12,122
6,197Lowest
15,249Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+1.1%
U.S.: +7.4%
+27.9%Highest
U.S.: +7.4%
-2.7%Lowest
U.S.: +7.4%
Median age
45.6±4.5Highest
17% above U.S.
31.1±6.1Lowest
20% below U.S.
44.7±2.3
15% above U.S.
Brattleboro and Bennington 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%
15.3%±3.7Lowest
U.S.: 22%
17.7%±2.3
U.S.: 22%
Brattleboro and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
25.5%±3.2Highest
U.S.: 17.2%
16.5%±6Lowest
U.S.: 17.2%
25.2%±2.8
U.S.: 17.2%
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%Highest
U.S.: 35.7%
41.4%
U.S.: 35.7%
36.9%Lowest
U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
4.1%±1.6Lowest
U.S.: 6.4%
27%±6.5Highest
U.S.: 6.4%
5.8%±1.6
U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$58,241±$8kLowest
28% below U.S.
$95,206±$21kHighest
18% above U.S.
$59,446±$7k
26% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$257,300±$18k
23% below U.S.
$356,700±$49kHighest
7% above U.S.
$213,300±$15kLowest
36% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,074±$58Lowest
24% below U.S.
$1,081±$164
23% below U.S.
$1,133±$63Highest
20% below U.S.
Bennington and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$5,700
83% above U.S.
$8,877Highest
185% above U.S.
$4,513Lowest
45% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
46.9%±9.6
U.S.: 51.1%
43.5%±22.6Lowest
U.S.: 51.1%
68.8%±14.1Highest
U.S.: 51.1%
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
U.S.: 12.5%
11.6%Lowest
U.S.: 12.5%
13.2%
U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
58.5%
U.S.: 65.2%
64.5%Highest
U.S.: 65.2%
58.4%Lowest
U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
1955Lowest
25 yrs older than U.S.
1974Highest
6 yrs older than U.S.
1961
19 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
19 min
28% below U.S.
20 minHighest
23% below U.S.
17 minLowest
35% below U.S.
Work from home
17.9%±4Highest
U.S.: 15.1%
15.5%±5.6
U.S.: 15.1%
15.1%±4.4Lowest
U.S.: 15.1%
Brattleboro and Henniker 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 #56 of 120 in NH #58 of 70 in VT
School district Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 Henniker School District 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

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.