Compare towns
Harmony vs Middlebury 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).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.9%).
Busti has the oldest population (median age 46.6).
Middlebury is a college town. 40.9% 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 | Harmony | Middlebury | Busti |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,344Lowest |
7,220 |
7,452Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±7 7% above U.S. |
23.7±1.3Lowest 39% below U.S. |
46.6±4.8Highest 20% above U.S. |
| Busti and Harmony 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% |
8.5%±1.7Lowest 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% |
19.8%±2.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
23.8%±3.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Busti and Middlebury 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% |
61.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
29.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
40.9%±2.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $58,600±$11kLowest 27% below U.S. |
$86,250±$18kHighest 7% above U.S. |
$67,292±$9k 17% below U.S. |
| Middlebury and Busti 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. |
$417,400±$31kHighest 25% above U.S. |
$164,600±$12k 51% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $788±$40Lowest 44% below U.S. |
$1,201±$120Highest 15% below U.S. |
$1,085±$106 23% below U.S. |
| Middlebury 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. |
$6,795Highest 118% above U.S. |
$3,876 24% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43%±18.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.6%±15.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.5%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Middlebury and Busti 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% |
15.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
14.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
56.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
15 minLowest 45% below U.S. |
21 min 20% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.1%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.5%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | PANAMA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | — | — |
| High school in town | PANAMA HIGH SCHOOL | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 6 photos → | 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.