Compare towns
Pownal vs Cornish vs Bennington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pownal has the most people working from home (16.4%).
Cornish has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.5%).
Bennington has the most renters (41.6% rent).
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 | Pownal | Cornish | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,265 |
1,816Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49±9.1 26% above U.S. |
54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
44.7±2.3Lowest 15% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±5.3 U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Bennington and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.5%±6.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Pownal and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,163±$21k 21% below U.S. |
$91,821±$2kHighest 14% above U.S. |
$59,446±$7kLowest 26% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,600±$32k 23% below U.S. |
$296,000±$69kHighest 11% below U.S. |
$213,300±$15kLowest 36% below U.S. |
| Cornish and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $944±$139Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,221±$227Highest 14% below U.S. |
$1,133±$63 20% below U.S. |
| Cornish and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,560Lowest 14% above U.S. |
$5,796Highest 86% above U.S. |
$4,513 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.4%±18.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
40.5%±38.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bennington and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 20% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 16.4%±6.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.1%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Pownal and Bennington 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 | #67 of 70 in VT | — | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Cornish School District | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 14.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.