Compare towns
Ripton vs Windham vs Erwin 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).
Windham has the most people working from home (20.5%).
Erwin has the most affordable homes ($224k median).
Middlebury has the youngest population (median age 31.8).
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 | Windham | Erwin | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 508Lowest |
594 |
7,965 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +25.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.7±14.2Highest 23% above U.S. |
44.2±7.4 14% above U.S. |
43.8±2 13% above U.S. |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
| Ripton and Windham 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% |
17.5%±7.9 U.S.: 22% |
20.7%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Erwin and Windham 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% |
23.2%±8.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
48.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
49.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 20.1%±6.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.3%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $112,917±$15kHighest 40% above U.S. |
$94,500±$12k 17% above U.S. |
$88,333±$16k 9% above U.S. |
$86,169±$16kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Ripton and Windham 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. |
$353,900±$20k 6% above U.S. |
$223,700±$26kLowest 33% 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 | — | — | $1,271±$136Highest 10% below U.S. |
$1,156±$113Lowest 18% below U.S. |
| Erwin and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,915Lowest 58% above U.S. |
$5,951 91% above U.S. |
$5,829 87% above U.S. |
$6,868Highest 120% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
41.2%±94Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.8%±14Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Erwin 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
9.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
15 minLowest 43% below U.S. |
16 min 41% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.2%±8.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.5%±5.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.5%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Windham 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 | — | — | #431 of 484 in NY | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — | CORNING CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | 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 |
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.