Compare towns
Pownal vs Plainfield vs Bennington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pownal has the most homeowners (92.6%).
Plainfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.6%).
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 | Plainfield | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,265 |
1,314Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.6%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 49±9.1Highest 14% above VT |
48.1±5.5 12% above VT |
44.7±2.3Lowest 4% above VT |
| Pownal and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±5.3 VT: 17.9% |
16.3%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
| 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 VT: 21.4% |
21.1%±3.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Pownal and Bennington 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 VT: 43.8% |
48.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.5Lowest VT: 7% |
2.1%±1.3 VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,163±$21k 21% below VT |
$69,250±$31kHighest 15% below VT |
$59,446±$7kLowest 27% below VT |
| Plainfield and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,600±$32k 19% below VT |
$318,400±$34kHighest about the VT average |
$213,300±$15kLowest 33% below VT |
| Plainfield and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $944±$139Lowest 24% below VT |
$1,153±$103Highest 7% below VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
| Plainfield and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,560Lowest 29% below VT |
$4,806Highest 5% below VT |
$4,513 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.4%±18.5Lowest VT: 48.4% |
73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1 VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
11.6% VT: 10.1% |
13.2%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.6%Highest VT: 73.2% |
80.9% VT: 73.2% |
58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Highest 7 yrs older than VT |
1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 10% below VT |
24 minHighest about the VT average |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 16.4%±6.7Highest VT: 16.9% |
16.4%±4.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| 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 | — | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 14.7 |
| 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.