Compare towns
Chelsea vs Castleton vs Vershire
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chelsea has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.4%).
Castleton has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Vershire has the most affordable homes ($209k 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 | Chelsea | Castleton | Vershire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,223 |
4,453Highest |
842Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.4%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-5.5% VT: +2.8% |
-7.9%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 54.1±12.1Highest 26% above VT |
38.3±4.3Lowest 11% below VT |
45.7±9.3 6% above VT |
| Chelsea and Vershire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.9%±5.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
18.8%±6.4Lowest VT: 17.9% |
19.1%±4.5 VT: 17.9% |
| Chelsea and Vershire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.4%±3.5Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±4.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
22.2%±5 VT: 21.4% |
| Chelsea and Vershire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
37.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
31.8% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±2.4Lowest VT: 7% |
19.3%±1.8Highest VT: 7% |
5.2%±2.6 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,913±$13kLowest 19% below VT |
$73,854±$23kHighest 9% below VT |
$71,618±$12k 12% below VT |
| Castleton and Vershire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $260,900±$39kHighest 18% below VT |
$224,800±$71k 29% below VT |
$209,100±$55kLowest 34% below VT |
| Chelsea and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,524±$467Highest 24% above VT |
$1,137±$195 8% below VT |
$1,117±$80Lowest 9% below VT |
| Chelsea and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,762 25% below VT |
$3,167Lowest 37% below VT |
$4,640Highest 8% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.3%±33.2Lowest VT: 48.4% |
67.7%±21.9 VT: 48.4% |
77.8%±24.5Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Vershire and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.3% VT: 10.1% |
12.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
19.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.2% VT: 73.2% |
79%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
81.5%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 9 yrs older than VT |
1974 2 yrs older than VT |
1985Highest 9 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 28% above VT |
19 minLowest 17% below VT |
32 minHighest 38% above VT |
| Work from home | 12.6%±7.8Highest VT: 16.9% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
12.3%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
| Chelsea and Vershire 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 | — |
| School district | First Branch Unified School District #82 | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.