Compare towns
Ripton vs Bow vs Middlebury vs Andover
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ripton has the most homeowners (90.9%).
Bow has the most kids (25% under 18).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Andover has the most people working from home (29.6%).
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 | Bow | Middlebury | Andover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 508Lowest |
8,335 |
9,175Highest |
616 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +25.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 47.7±14.2 23% above U.S. |
41.5±2 7% above U.S. |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
49.2±5.1Highest 26% above U.S. |
| Andover and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 11.8%±6.3 U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9 U.S.: 22% |
11.5%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 30.5%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.7%±4.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ripton and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48% U.S.: 35.7% |
60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 20.1%±6.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.8%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $112,917±$15k 40% above U.S. |
$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$86,169±$16kLowest 7% above U.S. |
$102,500±$38k 27% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $394,400±$61k 19% above U.S. |
$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$409,700±$30k 23% above U.S. |
$382,900±$68kLowest 15% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S. |
$1,156±$113Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,389±$364 about the U.S. average |
| Bow and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,915Lowest 58% above U.S. |
$9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$6,868 120% above U.S. |
$5,190 66% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
69.4%±47.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Andover and Ripton 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% |
2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
25 min 5% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.2%±8.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
29.6%±12.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Andover and Bow 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 | — | #26 of 120 in NH | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Bow School District | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Bow High School | Middlebury Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8Highest |
12.6Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.