Compare towns
Harmony vs Barre vs Busti
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Harmony has the most affordable homes ($128k median).
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Busti has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.6%).
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 | Harmony | Barre | Busti |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,344Lowest |
8,412Highest |
7,452 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
-6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±7Lowest 7% above U.S. |
42.2±6.6 8% above U.S. |
46.6±4.8Highest 20% above U.S. |
| Busti and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Harmony and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.7%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.4%±3.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
23.8%±3.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Busti and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 17.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
29.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Barre and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $58,600±$11kLowest 27% below U.S. |
$65,625±$7k 19% below U.S. |
$67,292±$9kHighest 17% below U.S. |
| Busti and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $128,300±$15kLowest 61% below U.S. |
$210,400±$15kHighest 37% below U.S. |
$164,600±$12k 51% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $788±$40Lowest 44% below U.S. |
$1,093±$58Highest 23% below U.S. |
$1,085±$106 23% below U.S. |
| Barre and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,805Lowest 10% below U.S. |
$5,192Highest 66% above U.S. |
$3,876 24% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43%±18.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.5%±13.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Busti and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
14.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1963 17 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
21 min 20% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.5%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Barre and Busti 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 | — | #19 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | PANAMA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — |
| High school in town | PANAMA HIGH SCHOOL | Spaulding Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.5Lowest |
10.7Highest |
— |
| 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.