Compare towns
Jefferson vs Bennington vs Somerville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Jefferson has the most expensive homes ($312k median).
Bennington has the most people working from home (15.1%).
Somerville has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.5%).
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 | Jefferson | Bennington | Somerville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,647 |
15,249Highest |
837Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.1±4.9 about the U.S. average |
44.7±2.3Highest 15% above U.S. |
33.5±11.3Lowest 14% below U.S. |
| Bennington and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 28%±5.7 U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
28.8%±7Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Somerville and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
13.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
25.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.6%±2.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.8%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bennington and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $85,078±$17kHighest 5% above U.S. |
$59,446±$7kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$71,250±$15k 12% below U.S. |
| Jefferson and Somerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,600±$35kHighest 6% below U.S. |
$213,300±$15kLowest 36% below U.S. |
$218,100±$41k 34% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,120±$130Lowest 21% below U.S. |
$1,133±$63 20% below U.S. |
$1,583±$265Highest 12% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,587 17% below U.S. |
$4,513Highest 45% above U.S. |
$2,505Lowest 20% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 29.8%±25.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
65.7%±58.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bennington and Somerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
17%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
85.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 8.9%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
15.1%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
3.9%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bennington and Jefferson 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 | #45 of 133 in ME | #58 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Jefferson Public Schools | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | RSU 12 |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.7 |
— |
| 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.