Compare towns
Dummerston vs Barre vs Northfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dummerston has the most people working from home (25.9%).
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Northfield has the youngest population (median age 36.4).
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 | Dummerston | Barre | Northfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,090Lowest |
8,412Highest |
5,920 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-4.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±11.7Highest 6% above VT |
42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
36.4±4.1Lowest 16% below VT |
| Dummerston and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
14.6%±3.7 VT: 17.9% |
| Dummerston and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.3%±3Highest VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9Lowest VT: 21.4% |
20%±3.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Dummerston and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 58.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.1% VT: 43.8% |
34.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
15.1%±2.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$65,625±$7kLowest 19% below VT |
$71,768±$13k 12% below VT |
| Dummerston and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $335,300±$22kHighest 6% above VT |
$210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$274,400±$21k 13% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
$1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$1,018±$207Lowest 18% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,536Lowest 10% below VT |
$5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$4,878 3% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.1%±32.2 VT: 48.4% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
63.3%±17.7Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Northfield and Dummerston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
12.5% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
73.5% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Highest 5 yrs older than VT |
1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1956 20 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 11% below VT |
19 minLowest 21% below VT |
27 minHighest 16% above VT |
| Work from home | 25.9%±10.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
12.1%±4.3 VT: 16.9% |
| Dummerston and Northfield 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 | — | #19 of 70 in VT | #42 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Paine Mountain Union School District #68 |
| High school in town | None in town | Spaulding Union High School | Northfield Middle/High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7Highest |
10.0Lowest |
| 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.