Compare towns
Chester vs Middlebury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chester has the oldest population (median age 49.7).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
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 | Chester | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 2,992Lowest |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 49.7±4.7Highest 15% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±4.7Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Chester and Middlebury 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% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Chester and Middlebury 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% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±4Lowest VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $62,125±$8kLowest 23% below VT |
$86,169±$16kHighest 6% above VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $232,900±$44kLowest 26% below VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $960±$44Lowest 22% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,262Lowest 15% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 11.5%±12.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 7%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 18% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 14%±6.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Middlebury and Chester 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 | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Green Mountain Unified School District #77 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | Green Mountain Union High School | Middlebury Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.7Lowest |
12.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.