Compare towns
Brattleboro vs Ware vs Hartford
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%).
Ware has the most homeowners (72.3%).
Hartford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.4%).
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 | Ware | Hartford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,122Highest |
10,048Lowest |
10,736 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.6±4.5Highest 17% above U.S. |
43.1±4.7Lowest 11% above U.S. |
43.2±3.9 11% above U.S. |
| Brattleboro and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.8 U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
18%±3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Ware and Brattleboro 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% |
20.6%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.5%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brattleboro and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
24%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
47.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Hartford and Ware 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. |
$67,475±$15k 16% below U.S. |
$78,125±$7kHighest 3% below U.S. |
| Hartford and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $257,300±$18kLowest 23% below U.S. |
$289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$304,500±$26kHighest 8% below U.S. |
| Hartford and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,074±$58 24% below U.S. |
$1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,218±$118Highest 14% below U.S. |
| Hartford and Brattleboro 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. |
$4,237Lowest 36% above U.S. |
$5,773Highest 85% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±9.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.6%±12.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware 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% |
11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 28% below U.S. |
28 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
18 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.9%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brattleboro and Hartford 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 | #267 of 282 in MA | #34 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Ware | Hartford School District |
| High school in town | Brattleboro Union High School | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Hartford High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Lowest |
11.1Highest |
9.6 |
| 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.