Compare towns
Sandgate vs Bennington vs Ira
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sandgate has the most people working from home (34.6%).
Bennington has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Ira has the most expensive homes ($273k median).
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 | Sandgate | Bennington | Ira |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 435 |
15,249Highest |
381Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -2.7% VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 55.7±5.4Highest 29% above VT |
44.7±2.3Lowest 4% above VT |
54.1±5.5 26% above VT |
| Sandgate and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.1%±7.5 VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
10.5%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Bennington and Sandgate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26%±11.3 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8Lowest VT: 21.4% |
28.9%±3.3Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Ira and Sandgate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.8%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
37.1% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±2.4Lowest VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
3.4%±3.5 VT: 7% |
| Bennington and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,167±$19k 15% below VT |
$59,446±$7kLowest 27% below VT |
$71,827±$5kHighest 12% below VT |
| Ira and Sandgate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $193,800±$31kLowest 39% below VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
$272,900±$18kHighest 14% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,133±$63Highest 8% below VT |
$942±$52Lowest 24% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,778Lowest 45% below VT |
$4,513Highest 10% below VT |
$4,146 18% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
36.4%±100 VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.7%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
14.4%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
90.7% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 17 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 16% above VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
28 minHighest 20% above VT |
| Work from home | 34.6%±32.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Sandgate and Bennington 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 | — | #58 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | — |
| High school in town | — | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.7 |
— |
| 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.