Compare towns
Castleton vs Concord vs Sandgate vs Walden
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Castleton has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Concord has the most affordable homes ($159k median).
Sandgate has the most people working from home (34.6%).
Walden has the highest household income ($88k).
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 | Castleton | Concord | Sandgate | Walden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 4,453Highest |
1,145 |
435Lowest |
1,037 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.5% VT: +2.8% |
-7.6%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
— | +2.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 38.3±4.3Lowest 11% below VT |
49.8±6.6 16% above VT |
55.7±5.4Highest 29% above VT |
48.8±3.2 13% above VT |
| Sandgate and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±6.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
15.9%±3.8 VT: 17.9% |
13.1%±7.5Lowest VT: 17.9% |
14.3%±3.9 VT: 17.9% |
| Castleton and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±4.6 VT: 21.4% |
27.1%±4Highest VT: 21.4% |
26%±11.3 VT: 21.4% |
20.4%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Concord and Sandgate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
22.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
37.8% VT: 43.8% |
26.4% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 19.3%±1.8Highest VT: 7% |
2.2%±2.1Lowest VT: 7% |
2.3%±2.4 VT: 7% |
4%±2.1 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $73,854±$23k 9% below VT |
$73,304±$9k 10% below VT |
$69,167±$19kLowest 15% below VT |
$88,000±$15kHighest 8% above VT |
| Walden and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $224,800±$71k 29% below VT |
$159,300±$8kLowest 50% below VT |
$193,800±$31k 39% below VT |
$238,900±$23kHighest 25% below VT |
| Walden and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,137±$195Highest 8% below VT |
$1,111±$29 10% below VT |
— | $900±$136Lowest 27% below VT |
| Castleton and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,167 37% below VT |
$3,026 40% below VT |
$2,778Lowest 45% below VT |
$3,944Highest 22% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 67.7%±21.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
43.3%±82.4 VT: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
56.3%±86.8 VT: 48.4% |
| Castleton and Walden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.5% VT: 10.1% |
13.2%Highest VT: 10.1% |
9.7% VT: 10.1% |
9.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
93.6% VT: 73.2% |
94.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
93.8% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 2 yrs older than VT |
1977 1 yr newer than VT |
1959Lowest 17 yrs older than VT |
1983Highest 7 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 17% below VT |
27 min 13% above VT |
27 minHighest 16% above VT |
26 min 10% above VT |
| Work from home | 6.2%±3.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
8.7%±4.7 VT: 16.9% |
34.6%±32.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
21.4%±6.7 VT: 16.9% |
| Sandgate and Walden 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 | — | — | — |
| School district | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64 | — | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.