What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bristol has the most expensive homes ($337k median).

Royalton has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.8%).

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	Bristol	Royalton
People
Population	3,778Highest	2,752Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.9%Lowest VT: +2.8%	-0.8%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	47.9±4.8Highest 11% above VT	43.9±10.1Lowest about the VT average
	Bristol and Royalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.8%±3.5Lowest VT: 17.9%	14.4%±5.8Highest VT: 17.9%
	Royalton and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21.9%±4.8Lowest VT: 21.4%	22.1%±6.4Highest VT: 21.4%
	Royalton and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	41.9%Lowest VT: 43.8%	42.6%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.2%±3.2Lowest VT: 7%	8%±4.2Highest VT: 7%
	Royalton and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$74,620±$8kLowest 8% below VT	$103,938±$24kHighest 28% above VT
	Royalton and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$337,300±$46kHighest 7% above VT	$263,200±$73kLowest 17% below VT
	Bristol and Royalton 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	$1,040±$391Lowest 16% below VT
	Bristol and Royalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,978Highest 19% above VT	$4,675Lowest 7% below VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4%	36.7%±16.1Lowest VT: 48.4%
	Bristol and Royalton 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%	13%Highest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	71.3%Highest VT: 73.2%	63.5%Lowest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Highest same as VT	1965Lowest 11 yrs older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 5% above VT	20 minLowest 13% below VT
Work from home	17.9%±6.1Highest VT: 16.9%	17.8%±7.3Lowest VT: 16.9%
	Bristol and Royalton 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	#48 of 70 in VT
School district	Mt. Abraham Unified School District #61	White River Unified School District #79
High school in town	Mt. Abraham Union High School	White River Valley High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.9Highest	8.7Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.