Compare towns
Guildhall vs Reading vs Middlebury vs Lancaster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Guildhall has the highest household income ($115k).
Reading has the most people working from home (22.9%).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Lancaster has the most affordable homes ($201k median).
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 | Reading | Middlebury | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 371Lowest |
699 |
9,175Highest |
2,230 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +3.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.6±7.8 10% above U.S. |
51.1±7.6Highest 31% above U.S. |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
38.6±8.5 about the U.S. average |
| Reading and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±7.5 U.S.: 22% |
18.5%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
25.1%±8.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Lancaster and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±5.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
28.2%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.6%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Reading 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
46% U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±2.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.5%±3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $115,000±$46kHighest 42% above U.S. |
$85,000±$19k 5% above U.S. |
$86,169±$16k 7% above U.S. |
$66,765±$20kLowest 17% below U.S. |
| Guildhall and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $321,200±$62k 3% below U.S. |
$377,200±$72k 13% above U.S. |
$409,700±$30kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$200,500±$24kLowest 40% below U.S. |
| Middlebury and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $850±$717Lowest 40% below U.S. |
$1,100±$331 22% below U.S. |
$1,156±$113Highest 18% below U.S. |
$1,036±$221 27% below U.S. |
| Middlebury and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,625 48% above U.S. |
$5,754 84% above U.S. |
$6,868Highest 120% above U.S. |
$4,225Lowest 35% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 75%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
63.3%±31.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
41.2%±18.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Guildhall and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
19.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
65.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 5% below U.S. |
33 minHighest 25% above U.S. |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
20 min 25% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.9%±10.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.6%±6.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Reading 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 | #107 of 120 in NH |
| School district | — | Mountain Views Unified Union School District #76 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Middlebury Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.6 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.