Compare towns
Brookfield vs Castleton vs Durham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookfield has the most people working from home (27.3%).
Castleton has the most affordable homes ($225k median).
Durham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.8%).
Durham is a college town. 55.1% 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 | Brookfield | Castleton | Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,486Lowest |
4,453 |
15,080Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47±5.9Highest 21% above U.S. |
38.3±4.3 about the U.S. average |
20.8±0.3Lowest 47% below U.S. |
| Brookfield and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±4.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.8%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
10.3%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±6.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
11.5%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brookfield and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
75.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
19.3%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
55.1%±3.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $98,500±$23k 22% above U.S. |
$73,854±$23kLowest 9% below U.S. |
$124,056±$21kHighest 54% above U.S. |
| Durham and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $339,300±$15k about the U.S. average |
$224,800±$71kLowest 32% below U.S. |
$504,300±$41kHighest 52% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $975±$306Lowest 31% below U.S. |
$1,137±$195 20% below U.S. |
$1,429±$143Highest about the U.S. average |
| Durham and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,560 46% above U.S. |
$3,167Lowest about the U.S. average |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±27.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
66.4%±16 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castleton and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
15.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79% U.S.: 65.2% |
64.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 38% above U.S. |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 27.3%±10.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.4%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brookfield and Durham 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 | — | #39 of 70 in VT | #9 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Oyster River Coop School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Oyster River High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.3 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | 51 photos → |
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.