Compare towns
Ripton vs Barnard vs Windham vs Middlebury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ripton has the highest household income ($113k).
Barnard has the most kids (26.9% under 18).
Windham has the most affordable homes ($354k median).
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 | Ripton | Barnard | Windham | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 508Lowest |
1,211 |
594 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+4.8%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
— | +7.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.7±14.2Highest 11% above VT |
42.4±6 about the VT average |
44.2±7.4 about the VT average |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 11.8%±6.3 VT: 17.9% |
26.9%±5.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
17.5%±7.9 VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Barnard and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
22%±3.6 VT: 21.4% |
23.2%±8.1 VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
55.3% VT: 43.8% |
48.1% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 20.1%±6.3 VT: 7% |
2.4%±1.8 VT: 7% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$97,581±$19k 20% above VT |
$94,500±$12k 16% above VT |
$86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT |
| Ripton and Barnard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $394,400±$61k 25% above VT |
$402,600±$71k 27% above VT |
$353,900±$20kLowest 12% above VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
| Middlebury and Barnard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,372±$80Highest 11% above VT |
— | $1,156±$113Lowest 6% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,915Lowest about the VT average |
$6,038 20% above VT |
$5,951 18% above VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±100Highest VT: 48.4% |
27%±19.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
41.2%±94 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 | 8.6% VT: 10.1% |
2.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
9.9% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
85.4% VT: 73.2% |
82.9% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1971Lowest 5 yrs older than VT |
1982Highest 6 yrs newer than VT |
1976 same as VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the VT average |
29 minHighest 21% above VT |
27 min 14% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.2%±8.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
19.3%±10.8 VT: 16.9% |
20.5%±5.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
| Windham and Barnard 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 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Mountain Views Unified Union School District #76 | — | 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 Our Story | None yet | 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.