Compare towns
Bristol vs Fairlee vs Middlebury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bristol has the most kids (12.8% under 18).
Fairlee has the most affordable homes ($274k median).
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.
| Measure | Bristol | Fairlee | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,778 |
1,066Lowest |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.9%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+1.1% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.9±4.8 11% above VT |
56.2±8.7Highest 30% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Fairlee and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.8%±3.5Highest VT: 17.9% |
12.2%±4.2 VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Bristol and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.9%±4.8 VT: 21.4% |
33.4%±5.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
46.5% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±3.2Lowest VT: 7% |
5.3%±3.7 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,620±$8kLowest 8% below VT |
$74,760±$10k 8% below VT |
$86,169±$16kHighest 6% above VT |
| Middlebury and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $337,300±$46k 7% above VT |
$274,200±$39kLowest 13% below VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
| Middlebury and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,275±$181Highest 3% above VT |
$1,083±$242Lowest 12% below VT |
$1,156±$113 6% below VT |
| Bristol and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,978 19% above VT |
$5,617Lowest 11% above VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.9%±14.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
89.2%±71.3Highest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Fairlee and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
14.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
10.7% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.3% VT: 73.2% |
80.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest same as VT |
1972Lowest 4 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest 5% above VT |
24 min 3% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.9%±6.1 VT: 16.9% |
15%±7.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Middlebury and Bristol 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 | #31 of 70 in VT | — | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Mt. Abraham Unified School District #61 | Rivendell Interstate School District | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | Mt. Abraham Union High School | None in town | Middlebury Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.9Lowest |
— | 12.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.