Compare towns
Northfield vs Townsend vs Castleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Northfield has the most people working from home (12.1%).
Townsend has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.3%).
Castleton has the shortest commute (19 min average).
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 | Northfield | Townsend | Castleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,920 |
9,100Highest |
4,453Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.4±4.1Lowest 6% below U.S. |
40.9±3.3Highest 5% above U.S. |
38.3±4.3 about the U.S. average |
| Townsend and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.6%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.8%±6.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Townsend and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20%±3.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Castleton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 15.1%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,768±$13kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$73,854±$23k 9% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,400±$21k 18% below U.S. |
$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$224,800±$71kLowest 32% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,018±$207Lowest 28% below U.S. |
$1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S. |
$1,137±$195 20% below U.S. |
| Townsend and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,878 56% above U.S. |
$6,031Highest 93% above U.S. |
$3,167Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 63.3%±17.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castleton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 3% above U.S. |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Northfield and Townsend 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 | #42 of 70 in VT | #136 of 282 in MA | #39 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Paine Mountain Union School District #68 | North Middlesex | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 |
| High school in town | Northfield Middle/High School | North Middlesex Regional | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.0Lowest |
13.1Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.