Compare towns
Guildhall vs Middlebury vs Ripton vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Guildhall has the most kids (22.6% under 18).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Ripton has the oldest population (median age 47.7).
Windham has the most people working from home (20.5%).
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 | Guildhall | Middlebury | Ripton | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 371Lowest |
9,175Highest |
508 |
594 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 42.6±7.8 about the VT average |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
47.7±14.2Highest 11% above VT |
44.2±7.4 about the VT average |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±7.5Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3 VT: 17.9% |
17.5%±7.9 VT: 17.9% |
| Guildhall and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±5.5 VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
23.2%±8.1 VT: 21.4% |
| Ripton and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
48% VT: 43.8% |
48.1% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±3.1 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3 VT: 7% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $115,000±$46kHighest 42% above VT |
$86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT |
$112,917±$15k 39% above VT |
$94,500±$12k 16% above VT |
| Guildhall and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $321,200±$62kLowest about the VT average |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$394,400±$61k 25% above VT |
$353,900±$20k 12% above VT |
| Middlebury and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $850±$717Lowest 31% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
— | — |
| Middlebury and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,625Lowest 8% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$4,915 about the VT average |
$5,951 18% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 75%±100Highest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
41.2%±94Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Guildhall and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11.9%Highest VT: 10.1% |
10.7% VT: 10.1% |
8.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
9.9% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
90.9% VT: 73.2% |
82.9% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 18 yrs older than VT |
1976 same as VT |
1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1982Highest 6 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 7% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
24 min about the VT average |
27 minHighest 14% above VT |
| Work from home | 2.3%±2.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7 VT: 16.9% |
20.5%±5.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Windham 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 | — | #17 of 70 in VT | — | — |
| School district | — | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | — | Middlebury Union High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.6 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.