Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Newark vs Dummerston 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.1%).
Newark has the youngest population (median age 41.4).
Dummerston has the most people working from home (25.9%).
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 | Newark | Dummerston | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 12,122 |
727Lowest |
2,090 |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+0.5% VT: +2.8% |
+0.1% VT: +2.8% |
-2.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5Highest 6% above VT |
41.4±6Lowest 4% below VT |
45.6±11.7Highest 6% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
22%±3Highest VT: 17.9% |
21.7%±6 VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Newark and Dummerston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.5%±3.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
19.9%±5.1Lowest VT: 21.4% |
24.3%±3 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| 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% VT: 43.8% |
41% VT: 43.8% |
58.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6 VT: 7% |
0.6%±0.6Lowest VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.1 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 |
$72,929±$7k 10% below VT |
$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $257,300±$18k 19% below VT |
$229,900±$23k 27% below VT |
$335,300±$22kHighest 6% above VT |
$213,300±$15kLowest 33% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,074±$58Lowest 13% below VT |
$1,708±$97Highest 38% above VT |
$1,392±$126 13% above VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,700Highest 13% above VT |
$3,771Lowest 25% below VT |
$4,536 10% below VT |
$4,513 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6 VT: 48.4% |
7.1%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
44.1%±32.2 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% VT: 10.1% |
22.4%Highest VT: 10.1% |
4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5% VT: 73.2% |
90.8% VT: 73.2% |
92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT |
1971 5 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 19% below VT |
34 minHighest 44% above VT |
21 min 11% below VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4 VT: 16.9% |
13.8%±8.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
25.9%±10.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| Dummerston 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 | — | — | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64 | 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 | None in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Lowest |
— | — | 14.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 6 photos → | 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.