Compare towns
Rochester vs Middlebury vs Hancock
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Rochester has the most people working from home (40.8%).
Middlebury has the most expensive homes ($410k median).
Hancock has the most kids (17.2% under 18).
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 | Rochester | Middlebury | Hancock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,389 |
9,175Highest |
435Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 53.3±7.6Highest 24% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
33.8±11.6 22% below VT |
| Kids under 18 | 10.4%±3.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9 VT: 17.9% |
17.2%±5.8Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Hancock and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 31.5%±3.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
19.8%±3.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
34.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.4%±0.6Lowest VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
3.7%±3.6 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,676±$8kLowest 11% below VT |
$86,169±$16kHighest 6% above VT |
$76,250±$34k 6% below VT |
| Middlebury and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $253,600±$81k 20% below VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$187,900±$11kLowest 41% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $929±$158Lowest 25% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
$939±$19 24% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,977 21% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$3,511Lowest 30% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.4%±27.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
3.5%±16.9Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Rochester and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 18.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
10.7% VT: 10.1% |
5.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.1%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1% VT: 73.2% |
59.5%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 9 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
1972 4 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 17% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
28 minHighest 17% above VT |
| Work from home | 40.8%±27.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
11.7%±5Lowest 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 | Rochester Stockbridge Unified School District #81 | 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 |
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.