Compare towns
Ripton vs Rochester 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+25.7%).
Rochester has the most people working from home (40.8%).
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 | Rochester | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 508Lowest |
1,389 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-3.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
53.3±7.6Highest 24% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Rochester and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.8%±6.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
10.4%±3.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9 VT: 17.9% |
| Ripton and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.5%±7.1 VT: 21.4% |
31.5%±3.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Rochester and Ripton 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% |
49% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 20.1%±6.3 VT: 7% |
0.4%±0.6Lowest VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$72,676±$8kLowest 11% below VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
| Ripton and Middlebury 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 |
$253,600±$81kLowest 20% below 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 | — | $929±$158Lowest 25% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
| Middlebury and Rochester 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 |
$3,977Lowest 21% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
62.4%±27.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Rochester and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
18.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
10.7% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
86.1% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1967Lowest 9 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the VT average |
27 minHighest 17% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 17.2%±8.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
40.8%±27.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
| Rochester 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 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Rochester Stockbridge Unified School District #81 | 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 |
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.