Compare towns
Hanover vs Middlebury vs Ripton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hanover has the most affordable homes ($142k median).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Ripton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+25.7%).
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 | Hanover | Middlebury | Ripton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,882 |
9,175Highest |
508Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+25.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 50.6±5.5Highest 30% above U.S. |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
47.7±14.2 23% above U.S. |
| Hanover and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
11.8%±6.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Hanover and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.7%±4.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
30.5%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ripton and Hanover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
48% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.6%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
20.1%±6.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,563±$9kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$86,169±$16k 7% above U.S. |
$112,917±$15kHighest 40% above U.S. |
| Ripton and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $141,500±$16kLowest 57% below U.S. |
$409,700±$30kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$394,400±$61k 19% above U.S. |
| Middlebury and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $993±$105Lowest 30% below U.S. |
$1,156±$113Highest 18% below U.S. |
— |
| Middlebury and Hanover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,881Lowest 8% below U.S. |
$6,868Highest 120% above U.S. |
$4,915 58% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.5%±22.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ripton and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950Lowest 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
24 min 9% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 11.5%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.2%±8.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Middlebury and Ripton 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 | #196 of 484 in NY | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | FORESTVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · SILVER CREEK CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | SILVER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL | Middlebury Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3Lowest |
12.6Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.