What stands out worked out from the figures below

Brattleboro has the most kids (19% under 18).

Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).

Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Brattleboro	Middlebury
People
Population	12,122Highest	9,175Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.1%Lowest VT: +2.8%	+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	45.6±4.5Highest 6% above VT	31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT
Kids under 18	19%±2.8Highest VT: 17.9%	11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9%
Age 65+	25.5%±3.2Highest VT: 21.4%	20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4%
	Brattleboro and Middlebury 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%	55.4%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.1%±1.6Lowest VT: 7%	32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$58,241±$8kLowest 28% below VT	$86,169±$16kHighest 6% above VT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$257,300±$18kLowest 19% below VT	$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,074±$58Lowest 13% below VT	$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT
	Middlebury and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,700Lowest 13% above VT	$6,868Highest 36% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.9%±9.6Lowest VT: 48.4%	50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4%
	Middlebury 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%	10.7%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	58.5%Lowest VT: 73.2%	65.1%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT	1976Highest same as VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minHighest 19% below VT	16 minLowest 33% below VT
Work from home	17.9%±4Lowest VT: 16.9%	18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9%
	Middlebury and Brattleboro 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	#17 of 70 in VT
School district	Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96	Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55
High school in town	Brattleboro Union High School	Middlebury Union High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.0Lowest	12.6Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.