Compare towns
Dummerston vs Richmond vs Middlebury
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 affordable homes ($335k median).
Richmond has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | Dummerston | Richmond | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,090Lowest |
4,159 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+2.1% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±11.7Highest 6% above VT |
43.7±5.6 about the VT average |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Dummerston and Richmond 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% |
21.5%±5 VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Dummerston and Richmond 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% |
19.5%±6.3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
| Dummerston and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 58.7% VT: 43.8% |
59.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
2.8%±1.7 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,696±$21k 25% above VT |
$108,235±$24kHighest 33% above VT |
$86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT |
| Richmond and Dummerston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $335,300±$22kLowest 6% above VT |
$432,200±$39kHighest 37% above VT |
$409,700±$30k 29% above VT |
| Richmond and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
— | $1,156±$113Lowest 6% below VT |
| Dummerston and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,536Lowest 10% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.1%±32.2 VT: 48.4% |
28.5%±15.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Middlebury and Dummerston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.5% VT: 10.1% |
4.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
78.8% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 5 yrs older than VT |
1983Highest 7 yrs newer than VT |
1976 same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 11% below VT |
25 minHighest 6% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 25.9%±10.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
22.5%±6.1 VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Dummerston and Richmond 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 | — | #5 of 70 in VT | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District #401 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.6 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.