Compare towns
Chatham vs Bennington vs Sharon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bennington has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Sharon has the highest household income ($113k).
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 | Chatham | Bennington | Sharon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 430Lowest |
15,249Highest |
442 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -2.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 48.3±8.6 24% above U.S. |
44.7±2.3Lowest 15% above U.S. |
49.4±11.2Highest 27% above U.S. |
| Sharon and Chatham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.4%±7.4 U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±8.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Sharon and Chatham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.5%±10 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
31.4%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Sharon and Chatham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 38.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
41.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±3.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.6%±3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,042±$19k 18% below U.S. |
$59,446±$7kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$113,125±$19kHighest 40% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $362,900±$42k 9% above U.S. |
$213,300±$15kLowest 36% below U.S. |
$475,900±$38kHighest 43% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,133±$63Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$1,458±$1kHighest 3% above U.S. |
| Sharon and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,690Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$4,513 45% above U.S. |
$8,274Highest 165% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
28.6%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bennington and Chatham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
13.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 35% above U.S. |
17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
32 min 21% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.3%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.1%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.2%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bennington and Sharon 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 | — | #58 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | — |
| High school in town | — | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.7 |
— |
| 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.