Compare towns
Milton vs Barre vs St. Albans
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Milton has the most people working from home (14.6%).
Barre has the most affordable homes ($210k median).
St. Albans has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.5%).
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 | Milton | Barre | St. Albans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,769Highest |
8,412 |
7,057Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.6% VT: +2.8% |
-6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+16.5%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 41.6±2.5 3% below VT |
42.2±6.6Highest about the VT average |
41.3±2.8Lowest 4% below VT |
| Barre and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.6%±3.4 VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
20%±4.7Highest VT: 17.9% |
| St. Albans and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
20.8%±3.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
| St. Albans and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
36.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
33.6% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±1.3 VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9Lowest VT: 7% |
8.1%±4.1Highest VT: 7% |
| St. Albans and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $118,977±$10kHighest 47% above VT |
$65,625±$7kLowest 19% below VT |
$90,060±$19k 11% above VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $372,500±$20kHighest 18% above VT |
$210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$363,300±$22k 15% above VT |
| Milton and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,536±$257Highest 24% above VT |
$1,093±$58Lowest 11% below VT |
$1,460±$152 18% above VT |
| Milton and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,610Highest 11% above VT |
$5,192 3% above VT |
$4,689Lowest 7% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.1%±20.6 VT: 48.4% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
73.6%±20.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
| St. Albans and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
5.3% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
79.3% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 9 yrs newer than VT |
1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1987Highest 11 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 18% above VT |
19 minLowest 21% below VT |
27 min 14% above VT |
| Work from home | 14.6%±2.9Highest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
10.7%±5.5 VT: 16.9% |
| Milton and St. Albans 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 | #56 of 70 in VT | #19 of 70 in VT | #46 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Milton School District | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — |
| High school in town | Milton Senior High School | Spaulding Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3Lowest |
10.7Highest |
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| 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.