Compare towns
Reading vs Middlebury vs Cavendish
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Reading has the most people working from home (22.9%).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Cavendish has the most affordable homes ($285k median).
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 | Reading | Middlebury | Cavendish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 699Lowest |
9,175Highest |
1,242 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+1.8%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 51.1±7.6Highest 19% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
45.2±5.9 5% above VT |
| Reading and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.5%±4.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
18.3%±4.8 VT: 17.9% |
| Reading and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 28.2%±3.3Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
23.6%±2 VT: 21.4% |
| Reading and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
39.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.1%±2.5Lowest VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
4.3%±1.9 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $85,000±$19kLowest 5% above VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
$89,063±$29kHighest 10% above VT |
| Cavendish and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $377,200±$72k 19% above VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$285,100±$40kLowest 10% below VT |
| Middlebury and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,100±$331 11% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
$1,000±$546Lowest 19% below VT |
| Middlebury and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,754 14% above VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$3,948Lowest 22% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 63.3%±31.7Highest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
28.9%±27Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Reading and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.4% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
81.3% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969 7 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
1968Lowest 8 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 41% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
19 min 21% below VT |
| Work from home | 22.9%±10.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
18.5%±6.6Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Reading 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 | Mountain Views Unified Union School District #76 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Green Mountain Unified School District #77 |
| 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 Our Story | 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.