Compare towns
Busti vs Bennington vs Jamestown West
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Busti has the highest household income ($67k).
Bennington has the most people working from home (15.1%).
Jamestown West has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.1%).
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 | Busti | Bennington | Jamestown West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,452 |
15,249Highest |
2,424Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.6±4.8 20% above U.S. |
44.7±2.3Lowest 15% above U.S. |
55.8±13.6Highest 43% above U.S. |
| Jamestown West and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±3.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±4 U.S.: 22% |
| Busti and Jamestown West are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.8%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.9%±7.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Jamestown West and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bennington and Jamestown West are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,292±$9kHighest 17% below U.S. |
$59,446±$7k 26% below U.S. |
$54,250±$14kLowest 33% below U.S. |
| Busti and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $164,600±$12k 51% below U.S. |
$213,300±$15kHighest 36% below U.S. |
$146,000±$27kLowest 56% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,085±$106 23% below U.S. |
$1,133±$63Highest 20% below U.S. |
$892±$253Lowest 37% below U.S. |
| Bennington and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,876 24% above U.S. |
$4,513Highest 45% above U.S. |
$3,045Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.5%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.5%±18.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bennington and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
68.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963Highest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1963Highest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minHighest 20% below U.S. |
17 min 35% below U.S. |
11 minLowest 57% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.5%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
15.1%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bennington and Busti 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 | — | #58 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | — |
| High school in town | — | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.7 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 7 photos → | None yet | None yet |
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.