Compare towns
Marshfield vs Barre vs Brookline vs Sheffield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Marshfield has the highest household income ($84k).
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Brookline has the most expensive homes ($291k median).
Sheffield has the most affordable homes ($172k 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 | Marshfield | Barre | Brookline | Sheffield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 470Lowest |
8,412Highest |
531 |
573 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+1.9%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-3% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.4±8.8 about the VT average |
42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
45.1±2.7Highest 5% above VT |
42±8Lowest about the VT average |
| Brookline and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±9.1 VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
20%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
17.1%±6.6 VT: 17.9% |
| Brookline and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 10.2%±4.4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
19.6%±4.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
19.2%±4 VT: 21.4% |
| Brookline and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.7% VT: 43.8% |
36.1% VT: 43.8% |
41.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
27.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±2.4 VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
3.2%±1.6Lowest VT: 7% |
5.9%±4.7Highest VT: 7% |
| Sheffield and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $84,375±$20kHighest 4% above VT |
$65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
$80,833±$16k about the VT average |
$58,333±$26kLowest 28% below VT |
| Marshfield and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $178,300±$31k 44% below VT |
$210,400±$15k 34% below VT |
$290,700±$37kHighest 8% below VT |
$171,900±$50kLowest 46% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$79 9% below VT |
$1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$1,732±$232Highest 40% above VT |
$967±$79Lowest 22% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,269 35% below VT |
$5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$5,000 about the VT average |
$2,123Lowest 58% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.4%±62.4 VT: 48.4% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
47.8%±94.7 VT: 48.4% |
61.5%±41.2Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Sheffield and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.9%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
6.2% VT: 10.1% |
6.6% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.2% VT: 73.2% |
50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
84.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
83.7% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1947 29 yrs older than VT |
1975 1 yr older than VT |
1987Highest 11 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 24% above VT |
19 minLowest 21% below VT |
28 min 21% above VT |
30 minHighest 28% above VT |
| Work from home | 17.5%±7.2 VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
20.6%±5.2Highest VT: 16.9% |
6.1%±2.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Brookline and Marshfield 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 | — | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — | Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64 |
| High school in town | — | Spaulding Union High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.