Compare towns
Castleton vs Northfield vs Smithville
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).
Northfield has the most people working from home (12.1%).
Smithville has the most affordable homes ($173k 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 | Northfield | Smithville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,453 |
5,920Highest |
1,525Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
-4.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.3±4.3 about the U.S. average |
36.4±4.1Lowest 6% below U.S. |
43.1±3.2Highest 11% above U.S. |
| Smithville and Castleton 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% |
14.6%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.6%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Castleton and Smithville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±4.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20%±3.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.1%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Castleton and Northfield 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
34.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
19.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
15.1%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±5.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $73,854±$23kHighest 9% below U.S. |
$71,768±$13k 11% below U.S. |
$70,433±$7kLowest 13% 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 | $224,800±$71k 32% below U.S. |
$274,400±$21kHighest 18% below U.S. |
$173,200±$42kLowest 48% 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 | $1,137±$195Highest 20% below U.S. |
$1,018±$207 28% below U.S. |
$889±$186Lowest 37% below U.S. |
| Castleton and Northfield 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 |
$4,878Highest 56% above U.S. |
$4,254 36% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
63.3%±17.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
54.9%±31.2Lowest 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 | 12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
27 min 3% above U.S. |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.2%±3.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
4.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Northfield and Castleton 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 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Northfield Middle/High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.0 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.