Compare towns
Marshfield vs Ripton vs Middlebury vs Belvidere
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 most affordable homes ($178k median).
Ripton has the highest household income ($113k).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Belvidere has the most kids (22% under 18).
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 | Marshfield | Ripton | Middlebury | Belvidere |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 470 |
508 |
9,175Highest |
422Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 42.4±8.8 about the VT average |
47.7±14.2Highest 11% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
40.7±6.5 6% below VT |
| Ripton 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% |
11.8%±6.3 VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
22%±4Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Belvidere and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 10.2%±4.4 VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
8.8%±4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
35.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±2.4 VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
1.4%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $84,375±$20k 4% above VT |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
$81,563±$18kLowest about the VT average |
| Ripton and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $178,300±$31kLowest 44% below VT |
$394,400±$61k 25% above VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$239,200±$51k 24% below VT |
| Middlebury and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$79Lowest 9% below VT |
— | $1,156±$113 6% below VT |
$1,542±$1kHighest 25% above VT |
| Belvidere and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,269Lowest 35% below VT |
$4,915 about the VT average |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$3,908 22% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.4%±62.4 VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
66.7%±53.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Belvidere and Ripton 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% |
8.6% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
5.5% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.2% VT: 73.2% |
90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
86.1% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1976 same as VT |
1989Highest 13 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 24% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
38 minHighest 60% above VT |
| Work from home | 17.5%±7.2 VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7 VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
9.4%±7.6Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Middlebury 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 | — | — | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Middlebury Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.6 |
— |
| 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.