What stands out worked out from the figures below

Brighton has the most affordable homes ($164k median).

Athens has the most people working from home (19.3%).

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	Brighton	Athens
People
Population	1,167Highest	431Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5.3% VT: +2.8%	—
Median age	45.2±11.6Lowest 5% above VT	47.3±6.5Highest 10% above VT
	Athens and Brighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.3%±5.7Highest VT: 17.9%	13.9%±6.5Lowest VT: 17.9%
	Brighton and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.2%±4.6Highest VT: 21.4%	21.6%±4.6Lowest VT: 21.4%
	Brighton and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	25.9%Lowest VT: 43.8%	30.3%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.6%±2.4Lowest VT: 7%	4.9%±3Highest VT: 7%
	Athens and Brighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$47,375±$21kLowest 42% below VT	$68,438±$30kHighest 16% below VT
	Athens and Brighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$163,900±$39kLowest 48% below VT	$240,400±$32kHighest 24% below VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$775±$33Lowest 37% below VT	$1,125±$537Highest 9% below VT
	Athens and Brighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,360Lowest 33% below VT	$5,438Highest 8% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	55%±17Highest VT: 48.4%	43.5%±39Lowest VT: 48.4%
	Brighton and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	22%Highest VT: 10.1%	12.1%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	51.1%Lowest VT: 73.2%	73.7%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1967Lowest 9 yrs older than VT	1973Highest 3 yrs older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minLowest 41% above VT	36 minHighest 53% above VT
Work from home	12.4%±8.1Lowest VT: 16.9%	19.3%±7.5Highest VT: 16.9%
	Athens and Brighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Brighton School District	—
High school in town	None in town	—
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.