Compare towns
Castleton vs Spencer vs St. Albans
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).
Spencer has the most people working from home (15%).
St. Albans has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.5%).
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 | Spencer | St. Albans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,453Lowest |
12,008Highest |
7,057 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.3±4.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
48.9±6.8Highest 26% above U.S. |
41.3±2.8 6% above U.S. |
| Spencer and St. Albans 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% |
16.4%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20%±4.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
| St. Albans 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% |
26%±4.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.8%±3.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Spencer and St. Albans 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% |
29.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
33.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.2%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
8.1%±4.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $73,854±$23kLowest 9% below U.S. |
$80,533±$11k about the U.S. average |
$90,060±$19kHighest 12% above U.S. |
| St. Albans and Spencer 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. |
$382,000±$22kHighest 15% above U.S. |
$363,300±$22k 9% above U.S. |
| Spencer and St. Albans 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. |
$1,078±$161Lowest 24% below U.S. |
$1,460±$152Highest 3% above U.S. |
| St. Albans 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 |
$4,387 41% above U.S. |
$4,689Highest 50% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 67.7%±21.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±10.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
73.6%±20.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| St. Albans and Castleton 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% |
11% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79% U.S.: 65.2% |
63%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1968Lowest 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
34 minHighest 30% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 6.2%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15%±7.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±5.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Spencer and St. Albans 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 | #261 of 282 in MA | #46 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Spencer-E Brookfield | — |
| High school in town | None in town | David Prouty High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.9 |
— |
| 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.