Compare towns
Putney vs Waterville vs Arlington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Putney has the shortest commute (18 min average).
Waterville has the most affordable homes ($185k median).
Arlington has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6%).
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 | Putney | Waterville | Arlington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,622 |
17,077Highest |
2,598Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.2±5.2 4% below U.S. |
35.5±2.5Lowest 9% below U.S. |
37.6±4Highest 3% below U.S. |
| Arlington and Putney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.4%±4.1 U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.6%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Arlington and Putney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.1%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.3%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Arlington and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
30.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
55.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 20.4%±3.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
18.1%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Putney and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $79,706±$18k about the U.S. average |
$53,580±$4kLowest 34% below U.S. |
$102,308±$11kHighest 27% above U.S. |
| Arlington and Putney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $300,000±$44k 10% below U.S. |
$184,600±$21kLowest 45% below U.S. |
$318,500±$59kHighest 4% below U.S. |
| Arlington and Putney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $508±$482Lowest 64% below U.S. |
$978±$72 31% below U.S. |
$1,191±$172Highest 16% below U.S. |
| Arlington and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,313Highest 70% above U.S. |
$2,755Lowest 12% below U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.2%±19.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.5%±8.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
77.1%±9.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Arlington and Putney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16% U.S.: 12.5% |
20.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
48.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 32% below U.S. |
18 min 32% below U.S. |
20 minHighest 23% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 16.9%±6.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
16.6%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
35.9%±10.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #32 of 70 in VT | #105 of 133 in ME | #50 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Waterville Public Schools | Arlington School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Waterville Senior High School | Arlington Memorial |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8Highest |
10.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 6 photos → | 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.