Compare towns
Sharon vs Middlebury vs Cavendish
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sharon has the most kids (21% under 18).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Cavendish has the most affordable homes ($285k median).
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 | Sharon | Middlebury | Cavendish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,577 |
9,175Highest |
1,242Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.9% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+1.8%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 45.6±7.7Highest 6% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
45.2±5.9 5% above VT |
| Sharon and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21%±5Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
18.3%±4.8 VT: 17.9% |
| Sharon and Cavendish 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% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
23.6%±2 VT: 21.4% |
| Sharon and Cavendish 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% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
39.3% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.5%±0.9Lowest VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
4.3%±1.9 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $84,375±$17kLowest 4% above VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
$89,063±$29kHighest 10% above VT |
| Cavendish and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $346,700±$37k 10% above VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$285,100±$40kLowest 10% below VT |
| Middlebury 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 |
$1,156±$113 6% below VT |
$1,000±$546Lowest 19% below VT |
| Sharon and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,903 17% above VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$3,948Lowest 22% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 19.8%±17.9Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
28.9%±27 VT: 48.4% |
| Middlebury and Cavendish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
6.3% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.7% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
81.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Highest 5 yrs newer than VT |
1976 same as VT |
1968Lowest 8 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest 12% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
19 min 21% below VT |
| Work from home | 12.7%±3.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.5%±6.6 VT: 16.9% |
| Middlebury and Cavendish 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 | Sharon School District | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Green Mountain Unified School District #77 |
| High school in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.6 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.