Compare towns
Middlebury vs Panton vs Ripton
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).
Panton has the most kids (24.9% under 18).
Ripton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+25.7%).
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 | Panton | Ripton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,175Highest |
690 |
508Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.7% VT: +2.8% |
-4.6%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
42.7±3.8 about the VT average |
47.7±14.2Highest 11% above VT |
| Ripton and Panton 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% |
24.9%±5.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
16.7%±2.9Lowest VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
35.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
2.3%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT |
$86,667±$10k 7% above VT |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $409,700±$30k 29% above VT |
$438,000±$40kHighest 38% above VT |
$394,400±$61kLowest 25% above VT |
| Panton and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,156±$113Lowest 6% below VT |
$1,410±$130Highest 14% above VT |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$6,695 33% above VT |
$4,915Lowest about the VT average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.9%±14.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
61%±39Highest VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
| Panton 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% |
3.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
8.6% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
83.7% VT: 73.2% |
90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest same as VT |
1974 2 yrs older than VT |
1973Lowest 3 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 16 minLowest 33% below VT |
26 minHighest 11% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
| Work from home | 18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
26.7%±8.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Panton 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 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · 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 |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.6 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.