Compare towns
Colrain vs Middlebury vs Ripton vs Heath
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Colrain has the most kids (15.3% under 18).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Ripton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+25.7%).
Heath has the most people working from home (31.7%).
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 | Colrain | Middlebury | Ripton | Heath |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,627 |
9,175Highest |
508Lowest |
765 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+25.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.6±8.7 28% above U.S. |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
47.7±14.2 23% above U.S. |
53.8±11.9Highest 38% above U.S. |
| Heath and Colrain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±4.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
11.8%±6.3 U.S.: 22% |
13.1%±2.8 U.S.: 22% |
| Colrain and Heath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 30.4%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
30.5%±7.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
33.6%±8.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Heath and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
48% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
20.1%±6.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±2.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $80,673±$10kLowest about the U.S. average |
$86,169±$16k 7% above U.S. |
$112,917±$15kHighest 40% above U.S. |
$98,750±$23k 22% above U.S. |
| Ripton and Heath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $284,300±$14kLowest 15% below U.S. |
$409,700±$30kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$394,400±$61k 19% above U.S. |
$295,000±$45k 11% below U.S. |
| Middlebury and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,102±$77Lowest 22% below U.S. |
$1,156±$113Highest 18% below U.S. |
— | — |
| Middlebury and Colrain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,317Lowest 38% above U.S. |
$6,868Highest 120% above U.S. |
$4,915 58% above U.S. |
$4,438 42% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46%±22.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ripton and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 7.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 34 min 27% above U.S. |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
24 min 9% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 32% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.4%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.2%±8.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
31.7%±17.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Heath 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 | Mohawk Trail | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.6 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.