Compare towns
Ripton vs Whiting vs Cornish vs Middlebury
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).
Whiting has the most kids (23.5% under 18).
Cornish has the oldest population (median age 54).
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 | Whiting | Cornish | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 508Lowest |
532 |
1,816 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +25.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.7±14.2 23% above U.S. |
39.6±2.7 about the U.S. average |
54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
| Cornish 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% |
23.5%±6.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Whiting and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 30.5%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
13%±5.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ripton and Cornish 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% |
25.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 20.1%±6.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±4 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $112,917±$15kHighest 40% above U.S. |
$91,250±$38k 13% above U.S. |
$91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$86,169±$16kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $394,400±$61k 19% above U.S. |
$280,400±$36kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$296,000±$69k 11% below U.S. |
$409,700±$30kHighest 23% above 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 | — | $1,204±$519 15% below U.S. |
$1,221±$227Highest 14% below U.S. |
$1,156±$113Lowest 18% below U.S. |
| Cornish and Whiting 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. |
$4,227Lowest 36% above U.S. |
$5,796 86% above U.S. |
$6,868Highest 120% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
58.3%±37.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.5%±38.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Whiting 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% |
11.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
22 min 17% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.2%±8.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Middlebury and Ripton 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 | Otter Valley Unified Union School District #53 | Cornish School District | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | None 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 |
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.