Compare towns
Orange vs Ripton vs Middlebury
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 affordable homes ($222k median).
Ripton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+25.7%).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
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 | Ripton | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 957 |
508Lowest |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 50.3±5.3Highest 17% above VT |
47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Orange and Ripton 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% |
11.8%±6.3 VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Orange and Ripton 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% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±1.9Lowest VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,302±$13kLowest 12% below VT |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
| Ripton 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 |
$394,400±$61k 25% above VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
| Middlebury and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,330±$153Highest 8% above VT |
— | $1,156±$113Lowest 6% 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 |
$4,915 about the VT average |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±87Lowest VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100Highest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Ripton 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% |
8.6% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.8% VT: 73.2% |
90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Highest 5 yrs newer than VT |
1973Lowest 3 yrs older than VT |
1976 same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 19% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 13.5%±4.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7 VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Middlebury and Ripton 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 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School |
| 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.