Compare towns
Middlebury vs Sheldon vs Windham
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).
Sheldon has the most kids (23.7% under 18).
Windham has the highest household income ($95k).
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 | Sheldon | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,175Highest |
2,267 |
594Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
40.9±3.5 5% below VT |
44.2±7.4Highest about the VT average |
| Windham and Sheldon 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% |
23.7%±3.6Highest VT: 17.9% |
17.5%±7.9 VT: 17.9% |
| Sheldon and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
12.6%±2.3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
23.2%±8.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Windham and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
14.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48.1% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
2%±1.3 VT: 7% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
$78,533±$25kLowest 3% below VT |
$94,500±$12kHighest 16% above VT |
| Windham and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$272,400±$61kLowest 14% below VT |
$353,900±$20k 12% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,156±$113Lowest 6% below VT |
$1,286±$379Highest 4% above VT |
— |
| Sheldon and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$3,578Lowest 29% below VT |
$5,951 18% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
0%±27Lowest VT: 48.4% |
41.2%±94 VT: 48.4% |
| Middlebury and Windham 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% |
5.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
9.9% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
89%Highest VT: 73.2% |
82.9% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest same as VT |
1984Highest 8 yrs newer than VT |
1982 6 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 16 minLowest 33% below VT |
25 min 7% above VT |
27 minHighest 14% above VT |
| Work from home | 18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
13%±3.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
20.5%±5.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Windham 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 | Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85 | — |
| 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.