Compare towns
Brookfield vs Chester vs Springfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookfield has the most people working from home (27.3%).
Chester has the oldest population (median age 49.7).
Springfield has the most renters (32.3% rent).
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 | Chester | Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,486Lowest |
2,992 |
9,084Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7% VT: +2.8% |
-4.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-3.3%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47±5.9 9% above VT |
49.7±4.7Highest 15% above VT |
43.2±3.7Lowest about the VT average |
| Chester and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
18.6%±3.4 VT: 17.9% |
| Brookfield and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±6.4 VT: 21.4% |
29.8%±7.9Highest VT: 21.4% |
23.6%±3.7Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Chester and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.3%Highest VT: 43.8% |
33.1% VT: 43.8% |
23.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2.4 VT: 7% |
5.1%±4Highest VT: 7% |
2.3%±1.4Lowest VT: 7% |
| Chester and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $98,500±$23kHighest 21% above VT |
$62,125±$8kLowest 23% below VT |
$66,571±$13k 18% below VT |
| Brookfield and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $339,300±$15kHighest 7% above VT |
$232,900±$44k 26% below VT |
$192,400±$20kLowest 39% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $975±$306Highest 21% below VT |
$960±$44Lowest 22% below VT |
$963±$100 22% below VT |
| Brookfield and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,560 10% below VT |
$4,262Lowest 15% below VT |
$4,807Highest 5% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±27.8 VT: 48.4% |
11.5%±12.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
49.6%±15.6Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Springfield and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
7% VT: 10.1% |
14.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
86.7% VT: 73.2% |
67.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
1972 4 yrs older than VT |
1958Lowest 18 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 55% above VT |
28 min 18% above VT |
27 minLowest 16% above VT |
| Work from home | 27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
14%±6.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±5.5 VT: 16.9% |
| Brookfield and Springfield 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 | — | #49 of 70 in VT | #64 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | Green Mountain Unified School District #77 | River Valley Technical Center · Springfield School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Green Mountain Union High School | Springfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.7Lowest |
14.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.