Compare towns
Middlebury vs Old Bennington vs Ripton vs Cornwall
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Old Bennington has the most people working from home (46.7%).
Ripton has the most affordable homes ($394k median).
Cornwall has the oldest population (median age 50.4).
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 | Middlebury | Old Bennington | Ripton | Cornwall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,175Highest |
182Lowest |
508 |
1,208 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.7% VT: +2.8% |
— | +25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+1.9%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
45±21.3 4% above VT |
47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
50.4±4.6Highest 17% above VT |
| Cornwall and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
22.5%±12Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3 VT: 17.9% |
18.7%±3 VT: 17.9% |
| Old Bennington and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
30.8%±8Highest VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1 VT: 21.4% |
25.7%±6.1 VT: 21.4% |
| Old Bennington and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 55.4% VT: 43.8% |
84.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
48%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
54.7% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
0%±7.8Lowest VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3 VT: 7% |
3.7%±3.1 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT |
$168,750±$53kHighest 108% above VT |
$112,917±$15k 39% above VT |
$114,583±$32k 41% above VT |
| Old Bennington and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $409,700±$30k 29% above VT |
$445,500±$105k 41% above VT |
$394,400±$61kLowest 25% above VT |
$458,000±$49kHighest 45% above VT |
| Cornwall and Old Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
$1,063±$1kLowest 14% below VT |
— | $1,125±$206 9% below VT |
| Middlebury and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,868 36% above VT |
$8,690Highest 72% above VT |
$4,915Lowest about the VT average |
$6,726 33% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
40%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
61.9%±65.5Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Cornwall and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
0%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
8.6% VT: 10.1% |
0.8% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
93.8% VT: 73.2% |
90.9% VT: 73.2% |
94.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest same as VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 16 minLowest 33% below VT |
28 minHighest 20% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
24 min about the VT average |
| Work from home | 18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
46.7%±3.9Highest VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
24.4%±6.6 VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #17 of 70 in VT | — | — | — |
| School district | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | Middlebury Union High School | — | None in town | None in town |
| 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.