Compare towns
Meredith vs Brattleboro vs Franklin
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Meredith has the highest household income ($86k).
Brattleboro has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.1%).
Franklin has the most affordable homes ($211k 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 | Meredith | Brattleboro | Franklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,467Lowest |
12,122Highest |
2,359 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54.3±4.6Highest 40% above U.S. |
45.6±4.5Lowest 17% above U.S. |
52.2±4.1 34% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17%±4.3 U.S.: 22% |
19%±2.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
13.6%±3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Brattleboro and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.8%±4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
30.8%±5.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
24.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.9%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Brattleboro and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $85,938±$16kHighest 6% above U.S. |
$58,241±$8kLowest 28% below U.S. |
$64,323±$6k 20% below U.S. |
| Meredith and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $230,600±$24k 31% below U.S. |
$257,300±$18kHighest 23% below U.S. |
$210,600±$23kLowest 37% below U.S. |
| Brattleboro and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $794±$175Lowest 44% below U.S. |
$1,074±$58Highest 24% below U.S. |
$803±$129 43% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,630 16% above U.S. |
$5,700Highest 83% above U.S. |
$3,332Lowest 7% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.1%±53.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±9.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
32.9%±21.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Meredith and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
83% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
19 minLowest 28% below U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 10.1%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.9%±4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brattleboro and Franklin 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 | — | #33 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | — |
| High school in town | — | Brattleboro Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.0 |
— |
| 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.