What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sharon has the most affordable homes ($347k median).

Barnard has the most people working from home (19.3%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Sharon	Barnard
People
Population	1,577Highest	1,211Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.9%Lowest VT: +2.8%	+4.8%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	45.6±7.7Highest 6% above VT	42.4±6Lowest about the VT average
	Sharon and Barnard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21%±5Lowest VT: 17.9%	26.9%±5.3Highest VT: 17.9%
	Barnard and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.1%±3.6Highest VT: 21.4%	22%±3.6Lowest VT: 21.4%
	Sharon and Barnard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.9%Lowest VT: 43.8%	55.3%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.5%±0.9Lowest VT: 7%	2.4%±1.8Highest VT: 7%
	Barnard and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$84,375±$17kLowest 4% above VT	$97,581±$19kHighest 20% above VT
	Barnard and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$346,700±$37kLowest 10% above VT	$402,600±$71kHighest 27% above VT
	Barnard and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,386±$155Highest 12% above VT	$1,372±$80Lowest 11% above VT
	Sharon and Barnard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,903Lowest 17% above VT	$6,038Highest 20% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	19.8%±17.9Lowest VT: 48.4%	27%±19.8Highest VT: 48.4%
	Barnard and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3%Highest VT: 10.1%	2.6%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	79.7%Lowest VT: 73.2%	85.4%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Highest 5 yrs newer than VT	1971Lowest 5 yrs older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 12% above VT	29 minHighest 21% above VT
Work from home	12.7%±3.7Lowest VT: 16.9%	19.3%±10.8Highest VT: 16.9%
	Barnard and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Sharon School District	Mountain Views Unified Union School District #76
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.