Compare towns
Castleton vs Dummerston vs Meredith 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 most affordable homes ($225k median).
Dummerston has the highest household income ($102k).
Meredith has the most expensive homes ($480k 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 | Castleton | Dummerston | Meredith | Ira |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 4,453 |
2,090 |
6,758Highest |
381Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 38.3±4.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
45.6±11.7 17% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
54.1±5.5 39% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±6.4 U.S.: 22% |
21.7%±6Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
10.5%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Dummerston and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.3%±3 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
28.9%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Meredith 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% |
58.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
37.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±3.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $73,854±$23k 9% below U.S. |
$101,696±$21kHighest 26% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19k 8% above U.S. |
$71,827±$5kLowest 11% below U.S. |
| Dummerston and Meredith 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. |
$335,300±$22k about the U.S. average |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$272,900±$18k 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,137±$195 20% below U.S. |
$1,392±$126Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$304 19% below U.S. |
$942±$52Lowest 33% below U.S. |
| Dummerston and Meredith 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 |
$4,536 45% above U.S. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$4,146 33% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.1%±32.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
36.4%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castleton and Meredith 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% |
4.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
14.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79% U.S.: 65.2% |
92.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
21 min 21% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
28 minHighest 6% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.2%±3.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
25.9%±10.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Dummerston and Meredith 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 | — | #62 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Inter-Lakes High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.1 |
— |
| 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.