Compare towns
Ripton vs Poultney vs Middlebury vs Andover
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).
Poultney has the most affordable homes ($197k median).
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 | Poultney | Middlebury | Andover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 508Lowest |
1,033 |
9,175Highest |
616 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-33.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7% VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
28.2±4.5Lowest 35% below VT |
31.8±3.7 26% below VT |
49.2±5.1Highest 14% above VT |
| 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 VT: 17.9% |
16.8%±5Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9 VT: 17.9% |
11.5%±4.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Poultney and Ripton 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% |
21.1%±6.6 VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
22.7%±4.3 VT: 21.4% |
| 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% VT: 43.8% |
38.4%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
43.3% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 20.1%±6.3 VT: 7% |
22.1%±3.3 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
2.8%±1.5Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$70,536±$11kLowest 13% below VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
$102,500±$38k 26% above VT |
| Ripton and Andover 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 |
$196,600±$43kLowest 38% below VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$382,900±$68k 21% 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 | — | $868±$113Lowest 30% below VT |
$1,156±$113 6% below VT |
$1,389±$364Highest 13% above VT |
| Andover 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 |
$3,450Lowest 32% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$5,190 about the VT average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
23.2%±12.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
69.4%±47.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
| 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% VT: 10.1% |
11.4%Highest VT: 10.1% |
10.7% VT: 10.1% |
4.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
56.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
65.1% VT: 73.2% |
82.8% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1976 same as VT |
1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the VT average |
31 minHighest 33% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
25 min 7% above VT |
| Work from home | 17.2%±8.7 VT: 16.9% |
11.3%±3.5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
29.6%±12.9Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Andover 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 | — | #41 of 70 in VT | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school 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.