Compare towns
Middlebury vs Whiting vs Williston
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).
Whiting has the most affordable homes ($280k median).
Williston has the most people working from home (22.3%).
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 | Whiting | Williston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,175 |
532Lowest |
10,144Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
— | +16.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
39.6±2.7 8% below VT |
45.4±4.5Highest 5% above VT |
| Williston and Whiting 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% |
23.5%±6.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
20.5%±5.2 VT: 17.9% |
| Whiting and Williston 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% |
13%±5.1Lowest VT: 21.4% |
21%±3.5Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Williston 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% |
25.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
54.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
6.2%±4 VT: 7% |
5.7%±2.7Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT |
$91,250±$38k 12% above VT |
$106,967±$12kHighest 32% above VT |
| Williston and Whiting 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 |
$280,400±$36kLowest 11% below VT |
$475,800±$40kHighest 50% above VT |
| Williston 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 |
$1,204±$519 about the VT average |
$1,832±$130Highest 48% above VT |
| Williston and Whiting 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 |
$4,227Lowest 16% below VT |
$5,592 11% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
58.3%±37.3Highest VT: 48.4% |
46.9%±17.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Whiting and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.7% VT: 10.1% |
11.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
4.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
65.4% VT: 73.2% |
75.1%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 same as VT |
1975Lowest 1 yr older than VT |
1993Highest 17 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 16 minLowest 33% below VT |
22 minHighest 7% below VT |
20 min 16% below VT |
| Work from home | 18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
10%±5.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
22.3%±7.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Williston 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 | — | #11 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Otter Valley Unified Union School District #53 | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 |
| 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 |
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.