Compare towns
Orange vs Middlebury vs Walden
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orange has the most kids (15.6% under 18).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Walden has the most people working from home (21.4%).
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 | Orange | Middlebury | Walden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 957Lowest |
9,175Highest |
1,037 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+2.2% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 50.3±5.3Highest 17% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
48.8±3.2 13% above VT |
| Orange and Walden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±4.7Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
14.3%±3.9 VT: 17.9% |
| Orange and Walden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.4%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
| Middlebury and Walden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
26.4% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±1.9Lowest VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
4%±2.1 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,302±$13kLowest 12% below VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
$88,000±$15kHighest 8% above VT |
| Walden and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $222,000±$22kLowest 30% below VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$238,900±$23k 25% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,330±$153Highest 8% above VT |
$1,156±$113 6% below VT |
$900±$136Lowest 27% below VT |
| Orange and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,545Lowest 30% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$3,944 22% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±87Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
56.3%±86.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Walden and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
9.3% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.8% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
93.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981 5 yrs newer than VT |
1976Lowest same as VT |
1983Highest 7 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 19% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
26 min 10% above VT |
| Work from home | 13.5%±4.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
21.4%±6.7Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Walden 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 | Echo Valley Community Union School District #67 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 |
| High school in town | None 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.