Compare towns
Hancock vs Brookfield vs Rochester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hancock has the most renters (40.5% rent).
Brookfield has the most expensive homes ($339k median).
Rochester has the most people working from home (40.8%).
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 | Hancock | Brookfield | Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 435Lowest |
1,486Highest |
1,389 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-3.5%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 33.8±11.6Lowest 22% below VT |
47±5.9 9% above VT |
53.3±7.6Highest 24% above VT |
| Rochester and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±5.8 VT: 17.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
10.4%±3.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Brookfield and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±3.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
29.7%±6.4 VT: 21.4% |
31.5%±3.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Rochester and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
45.3% VT: 43.8% |
49%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±3.6Highest VT: 7% |
3.2%±2.4 VT: 7% |
0.4%±0.6Lowest VT: 7% |
| Hancock and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $76,250±$34k 6% below VT |
$98,500±$23kHighest 21% above VT |
$72,676±$8kLowest 11% below VT |
| Brookfield and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $187,900±$11kLowest 41% below VT |
$339,300±$15kHighest 7% above VT |
$253,600±$81k 20% below VT |
| Brookfield and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $939±$19 24% below VT |
$975±$306Highest 21% below VT |
$929±$158Lowest 25% below VT |
| Brookfield and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,511Lowest 30% below VT |
$4,560Highest 10% below VT |
$3,977 21% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 3.5%±16.9Lowest VT: 48.4% |
30.4%±27.8 VT: 48.4% |
62.4%±27.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Rochester and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
6.3% VT: 10.1% |
18.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.5%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
86.1% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972 4 yrs older than VT |
1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
1967Lowest 9 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 17% above VT |
37 minHighest 55% above VT |
27 minLowest 17% above VT |
| Work from home | 11.7%±5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
27.3%±10.4 VT: 16.9% |
40.8%±27.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Rochester and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | Rochester Stockbridge Unified School District #81 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town |
| 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.