Compare towns
Busti vs Castleton vs Northfield vs Harmony
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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.6%).
Castleton has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Northfield has the most people working from home (12.1%).
Harmony has the most affordable homes ($128k median).
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 | Castleton | Northfield | Harmony |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,452Highest |
4,453 |
5,920 |
2,344Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-4.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.6±4.8Highest 20% above U.S. |
38.3±4.3 about the U.S. average |
36.4±4.1Lowest 6% below U.S. |
41.8±7 7% above U.S. |
| Busti and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
18.8%±6.4 U.S.: 22% |
14.6%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Harmony and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.8%±3.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
20%±3.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.7%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Busti and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
17.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
15.1%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
3%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $67,292±$9k 17% below U.S. |
$73,854±$23kHighest 9% below U.S. |
$71,768±$13k 11% below U.S. |
$58,600±$11kLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Castleton and Northfield 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. |
$224,800±$71k 32% below U.S. |
$274,400±$21kHighest 18% below U.S. |
$128,300±$15kLowest 61% below U.S. |
| Northfield and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,085±$106 23% below U.S. |
$1,137±$195Highest 20% below U.S. |
$1,018±$207 28% below U.S. |
$788±$40Lowest 44% below U.S. |
| Castleton 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. |
$3,167 about the U.S. average |
$4,878Highest 56% above U.S. |
$2,805Lowest 10% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.5%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
63.3%±17.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
43%±18.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castleton and Northfield 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% |
12.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
84.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 20% below U.S. |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
27 minHighest 3% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 9.5%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8.1%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Northfield 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 | — | #39 of 70 in VT | #42 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Paine Mountain Union School District #68 | PANAMA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Northfield Middle/High School | PANAMA HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.0Highest |
8.5Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.