Compare towns
Dummerston vs Rochester vs Brattleboro
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 highest household income ($102k).
Rochester has the most people working from home (40.8%).
Brattleboro has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.1%).
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 | Rochester | Brattleboro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,090 |
1,389Lowest |
12,122Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.1% VT: +2.8% |
-3.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+1.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±11.7Lowest 6% above VT |
53.3±7.6Highest 24% above VT |
45.6±4.5Lowest 6% above VT |
| Rochester and Dummerston 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% |
10.4%±3.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
| Dummerston and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.3%±3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
31.5%±3.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
25.5%±3.2 VT: 21.4% |
| Rochester and Brattleboro 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% |
49% VT: 43.8% |
46.5%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.1 VT: 7% |
0.4%±0.6Lowest VT: 7% |
4.1%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT |
$72,676±$8k 11% below VT |
$58,241±$8kLowest 28% below VT |
| Dummerston and Rochester 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 |
$253,600±$81kLowest 20% below VT |
$257,300±$18k 19% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,392±$126Highest 13% above VT |
$929±$158Lowest 25% below VT |
$1,074±$58 13% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,536 10% below VT |
$3,977Lowest 21% below VT |
$5,700Highest 13% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.1%±32.2Lowest VT: 48.4% |
62.4%±27.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
46.9%±9.6 VT: 48.4% |
| Rochester and Brattleboro 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% |
18.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
17.8% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
86.1% VT: 73.2% |
58.5%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Highest 5 yrs older than VT |
1967 9 yrs older than VT |
1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 11% below VT |
27 minHighest 17% above VT |
19 minLowest 19% below VT |
| Work from home | 25.9%±10.3 VT: 16.9% |
40.8%±27.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
17.9%±4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Rochester and Dummerston 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 | — | — | #33 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Rochester Stockbridge Unified School District #81 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Brattleboro Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 9.0 |
| 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.