Compare towns
Dummer vs St. Albans vs Columbia
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dummer has the highest household income ($91k).
St. Albans has the most renters (51% rent).
Columbia has the most affordable homes ($196k 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 | Dummer | St. Albans | Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 299Lowest |
6,954Highest |
683 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -0.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-12.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 53.6±6.4Highest 38% above U.S. |
38.7±2Lowest about the U.S. average |
51.8±10.1 33% above U.S. |
| Dummer and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±5.1 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.4%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| St. Albans and Dummer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.4%±4.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
13.9%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.9%±8.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Columbia and Dummer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
31.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
14.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
7%±3.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Columbia and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,250±$21kHighest 13% above U.S. |
$57,980±$7k 28% below U.S. |
$57,917±$13kLowest 28% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,200±$51k 27% below U.S. |
$263,400±$18kHighest 21% below U.S. |
$196,400±$29kLowest 41% below U.S. |
| St. Albans and Dummer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,150±$78Highest 19% below U.S. |
$792±$333Lowest 44% below U.S. |
| St. Albans and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,898 7% below U.S. |
$4,436Highest 42% above U.S. |
$2,009Lowest 36% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.8%±11.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
9.1%±95.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| St. Albans and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
19.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
49%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
91.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest 5% below U.S. |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.8%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±3.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.2%±6.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| St. Albans and Columbia 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 | — | #46 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 | — |
| High school in town | — | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.4 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.