Compare towns
Hancock vs Walden vs Ripton
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).
Walden has the most people working from home (21.4%).
Ripton has the most expensive homes ($394k median).
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 | Walden | Ripton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 435Lowest |
1,037Highest |
508 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +2.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 33.8±11.6Lowest 22% below VT |
48.8±3.2Highest 13% above VT |
47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
| Walden and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±5.8Highest VT: 17.9% |
14.3%±3.9 VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Hancock and Walden 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% |
20.4%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% VT: 43.8% |
26.4%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±3.6Lowest VT: 7% |
4%±2.1 VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $76,250±$34kLowest 6% below VT |
$88,000±$15k 8% above VT |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
| Ripton and Walden 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 |
$238,900±$23k 25% below VT |
$394,400±$61kHighest 25% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $939±$19Highest 24% below VT |
$900±$136Lowest 27% below VT |
— |
| Hancock and Walden 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 |
$3,944 22% below VT |
$4,915Highest about the VT average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 3.5%±16.9Lowest VT: 48.4% |
56.3%±86.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
| Walden and Ripton 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% |
9.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
8.6% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.5%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
93.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
90.9% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than VT |
1983Highest 7 yrs newer than VT |
1973 3 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 17% above VT |
26 min 10% above VT |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
| Work from home | 11.7%±5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
21.4%±6.7Highest VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7 VT: 16.9% |
| Walden and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| 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.