Compare towns
Ripton vs Ware vs Middlebury vs Granville
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 highest household income ($113k).
Ware has the oldest housing (typical home built 1960).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Granville has the most people working from home (31.9%).
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 | Ware | Middlebury | Granville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 508 |
10,048Highest |
9,175 |
414Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +25.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 47.7±14.2Highest 23% above U.S. |
43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
44.8±7.7 15% above U.S. |
| Ripton and Granville 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% |
19.1%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 30.5%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.4%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48% U.S.: 35.7% |
24%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 20.1%±6.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $112,917±$15kHighest 40% above U.S. |
$67,475±$15k 16% below U.S. |
$86,169±$16k 7% above U.S. |
$60,500±$21kLowest 25% below U.S. |
| 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 19% above U.S. |
$289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$409,700±$30kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$233,300±$40kLowest 30% below U.S. |
| Middlebury and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,156±$113 18% below U.S. |
$1,163±$184Highest 18% below U.S. |
| Granville and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,915 58% above U.S. |
$4,237 36% above U.S. |
$6,868Highest 120% above U.S. |
$2,914Lowest 7% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
34.8%±70.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware 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% |
11.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
28 min 8% above U.S. |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
34 minHighest 28% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.2%±8.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
31.9%±15Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Granville 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 | — | #267 of 282 in MA | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Ware | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Middlebury Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1Lowest |
12.6Highest |
— |
| 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.