Compare towns
Mendon vs Strafford vs Middlebury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mendon has the most people working from home (22.5%).
Strafford has the most kids (23% under 18).
Middlebury has the youngest population (median age 31.8).
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 | Mendon | Strafford | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,113Lowest |
1,372 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-0.4%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 53.4±10.5Highest 24% above VT |
51.4±4.7 19% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Mendon and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.6%±5.2 VT: 17.9% |
23%±5.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Strafford and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29%±1.3Highest VT: 21.4% |
22.1%±3.4 VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.4%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
53.3% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.1%±2.1Lowest VT: 7% |
5.1%±2.6 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $100,524±$23k 24% above VT |
$110,833±$19kHighest 36% above VT |
$86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT |
| Strafford and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $357,000±$44kLowest 13% above VT |
$431,300±$40kHighest 36% above VT |
$409,700±$30k 29% above VT |
| Strafford and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,230±$651Highest about the VT average |
$1,125±$789Lowest 9% below VT |
$1,156±$113 6% below VT |
| Mendon and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,342Lowest 6% above VT |
$7,149Highest 42% above VT |
$6,868 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 88.6%±42.7Highest VT: 48.4% |
44.6%±48Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Mendon and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.2% VT: 10.1% |
5.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
88.9% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 1 yr newer than VT |
1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT |
1976Lowest same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 min 28% below VT |
23 minHighest about the VT average |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 22.5%±8.9Highest VT: 16.9% |
16.1%±4.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
| Mendon and Middlebury 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 | — | Strafford School District | 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 Our Story | 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.