What stands out worked out from the figures below

Chester has the most homeowners (86.7%).

Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Chester	Barre
People
Population	2,992Lowest	8,412Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-4.7%Highest VT: +2.8%	-6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8%
Median age	49.7±4.7Highest 15% above VT	42.2±6.6Lowest about the VT average
	Chester and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.1%±4.7Highest VT: 17.9%	13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9%
	Chester and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.8%±7.9Highest VT: 21.4%	19.4%±3.9Lowest VT: 21.4%
	Chester and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.1%Lowest VT: 43.8%	36.1%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±4Highest VT: 7%	3.4%±1.9Lowest VT: 7%
	Chester and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$62,125±$8kLowest 23% below VT	$65,625±$7kHighest 19% below VT
	Barre and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$232,900±$44kHighest 26% below VT	$210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT
	Chester and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$960±$44Lowest 22% below VT	$1,093±$58Highest 11% below VT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,262Lowest 15% below VT	$5,192Highest 3% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	11.5%±12.3Lowest VT: 48.4%	34.4%±10.3Highest VT: 48.4%
Below poverty line	7%Lowest VT: 10.1%	17.3%Highest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.7%Highest VT: 73.2%	50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Highest 4 yrs older than VT	1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minHighest 18% above VT	19 minLowest 21% below VT
Work from home	14%±6.9Highest VT: 16.9%	10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9%
	Chester and Barre 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	#49 of 70 in VT	#19 of 70 in VT
School district	Green Mountain Unified School District #77	Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center
High school in town	Green Mountain Union High School	Spaulding Union High School
Students per teacherat that high school	8.7Lowest	10.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.