Compare towns
Cornwall vs Williamstown vs Middlebury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornwall has the most people working from home (24.4%).
Williamstown has the most affordable homes ($235k median).
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 | Cornwall | Williamstown | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208Lowest |
3,579 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+3.7% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 50.4±4.6Highest 17% above VT |
42±5 about the VT average |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Cornwall and Williamstown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±3 VT: 17.9% |
19.9%±5.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Williamstown and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.7%±6.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
17%±3.9Lowest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
| Cornwall and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 54.7% VT: 43.8% |
17.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±3.1Lowest VT: 7% |
4.8%±3.2 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $114,583±$32kHighest 41% above VT |
$94,418±$10k 16% above VT |
$86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT |
| Cornwall and Williamstown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $458,000±$49kHighest 45% above VT |
$234,900±$24kLowest 26% below VT |
$409,700±$30k 29% above VT |
| Cornwall and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$206Lowest 9% below VT |
$1,659±$189Highest 34% above VT |
$1,156±$113 6% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,726 33% above VT |
$3,841Lowest 24% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 61.9%±65.5 VT: 48.4% |
83.7%±100Highest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Williamstown and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 0.8%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
8.2% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
90.7% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest same as VT |
1986Highest 10 yrs newer than VT |
1976Lowest same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the VT average |
23 min about the VT average |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 24.4%±6.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
13.9%±6.6Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
| Cornwall 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 | — | #47 of 70 in VT | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Paine Mountain Union School District #68 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | None in town | Williamstown Middle/High School | Middlebury Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.5Lowest |
12.6Highest |
| 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.