Compare towns
Cavendish vs Dover vs Middlebury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cavendish has the most kids (18.3% under 18).
Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+60%).
Middlebury has the youngest population (median age 31.8).
Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Cavendish | Dover | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,242Lowest |
1,466 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.8%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+60%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.2±5.9 5% above VT |
53.5±8.3Highest 24% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Dover and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.3%±4.8Highest VT: 17.9% |
10.2%±5.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9 VT: 17.9% |
| Cavendish and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.6%±2 VT: 21.4% |
29.5%±6.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Dover and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48.9% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±1.9 VT: 7% |
2.5%±2.9Lowest VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $89,063±$29kHighest 10% above VT |
$52,313±$7kLowest 36% below VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
| Cavendish and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $285,100±$40kLowest 10% below VT |
$332,900±$55k 5% above VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
| Middlebury and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,000±$546 19% below VT |
$670±$49Lowest 46% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
| Middlebury and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,948Lowest 22% below VT |
$4,510 10% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 28.9%±27Lowest VT: 48.4% |
38.1%±17.2 VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Middlebury and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
7.3% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
81.1% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968Lowest 8 yrs older than VT |
1984Highest 8 yrs newer than VT |
1976 same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 21% below VT |
22 minHighest 6% below VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 18.5%±6.6Lowest VT: 16.9% |
23.2%±11.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
| Dover and Middlebury 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 | — | — | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Green Mountain Unified School District #77 | River Valleys Unified School District #73 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.6 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 18 photos → | None yet | None yet |
VT 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.