Compare towns
Castleton vs Cornish vs Brookfield vs Ira
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Castleton has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Cornish has the most homeowners (94.1%).
Brookfield has the most people working from home (27.3%).
Ira has the oldest population (median age 54.1).
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 | Castleton | Cornish | Brookfield | Ira |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 4,453Highest |
1,816 |
1,486 |
381Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 38.3±4.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
54±8.3 39% above U.S. |
47±5.9 21% above U.S. |
54.1±5.5Highest 39% above U.S. |
| Ira and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
18.8%±4.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
10.5%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.7%±6.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
28.9%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brookfield and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
45.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.2%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±3.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $73,854±$23k 9% below U.S. |
$91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$98,500±$23kHighest 22% above U.S. |
$71,827±$5kLowest 11% below U.S. |
| Brookfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $224,800±$71kLowest 32% below U.S. |
$296,000±$69k 11% below U.S. |
$339,300±$15kHighest about the U.S. average |
$272,900±$18k 18% below U.S. |
| Brookfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,137±$195 20% below U.S. |
$1,221±$227Highest 14% below U.S. |
$975±$306 31% below U.S. |
$942±$52Lowest 33% below U.S. |
| Cornish and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,167Lowest about the U.S. average |
$5,796Highest 86% above U.S. |
$4,560 46% above U.S. |
$4,146 33% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
30.4%±27.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
36.4%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castleton and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
14.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
90.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
37 minHighest 38% above U.S. |
28 min 6% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.2%±3.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
27.3%±10.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #39 of 70 in VT | — | — | — |
| School district | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Cornish School District | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | — |
| 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 |
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.