Compare towns
Castleton vs Strafford vs Williston
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).
Strafford has the most homeowners (93.5%).
Williston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.2%).
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 | Strafford | Williston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,453 |
4,306Lowest |
10,144Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.3±4.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
46.3±2.1Highest 19% above U.S. |
45.4±4.5 17% above U.S. |
| Strafford and Williston 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% |
17.6%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Williston and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±4.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21%±3.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Williston and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
54.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±2.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $73,854±$23kLowest 9% below U.S. |
$122,105±$22kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$106,967±$12k 32% above U.S. |
| Strafford and Williston 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. |
$427,900±$29k 29% above U.S. |
$475,800±$40kHighest 43% above U.S. |
| Williston and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,137±$195Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$1,635±$246 16% above U.S. |
$1,832±$130Highest 30% above U.S. |
| Williston and Strafford 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 |
$6,086Highest 95% above U.S. |
$5,592 79% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 67.7%±21.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
76.3%±30.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±17.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Strafford 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% |
8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79% U.S.: 65.2% |
93.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1985 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
36 minHighest 36% above U.S. |
20 min 25% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.2%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.9%±5 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.3%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Williston and Strafford 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 | #73 of 120 in NH | #11 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Strafford School District | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 |
| 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 |
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.