Compare towns
Ripton vs Hyde Park vs Burke 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).
Hyde Park has the most affordable homes ($222k median).
Burke has the most people working from home (23.4%).
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 | Hyde Park | Burke | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 508Lowest |
513 |
1,317 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— | -5.8%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.7±14.2Highest 11% above VT |
42.6±10.1 about the VT average |
41.1±4.8 5% below VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Ripton and Hyde Park 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% |
22.6%±6.5 VT: 17.9% |
23%±4Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Burke and Hyde Park 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% |
16.4%±3.3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
21.7%±2.2 VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
| Ripton and Burke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48% VT: 43.8% |
41%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
41.4% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 20.1%±6.3 VT: 7% |
2.1%±2Lowest VT: 7% |
3.6%±2.3 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$89,946±$10k 11% above VT |
$87,143±$17k 7% above VT |
$86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT |
| Ripton and Hyde Park 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 |
$221,800±$57kLowest 30% below VT |
$340,600±$18k 8% above VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
| Middlebury and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,306±$285Highest 6% above VT |
$938±$191Lowest 24% below VT |
$1,156±$113 6% below VT |
| Hyde Park and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,915 about the VT average |
$3,893Lowest 23% below VT |
$5,177 about the VT average |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
42.1%±47.5Lowest VT: 48.4% |
74.6%±31Highest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Burke and Ripton 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% |
6.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
79.6% VT: 73.2% |
88.6% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1964Lowest 12 yrs older than VT |
1981Highest 5 yrs newer than VT |
1976 same as VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the VT average |
26 minHighest 11% above VT |
25 min 8% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.2%±8.7 VT: 16.9% |
7.9%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
23.4%±6.8Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
| Burke 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 | — | #59 of 70 in VT | — | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — | Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64 | 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 History | 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.