Compare towns
Sheffield vs Middlebury vs Bloomfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sheffield has the most affordable homes ($123k median).
Middlebury has the most people working from home (18.8%).
Bloomfield has the oldest population (median age 41.9).
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 | Sheffield | Middlebury | Bloomfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 190Lowest |
9,175Highest |
234 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.7% VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 32.5±2.3 25% below VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
41.9±12Highest about the VT average |
| Bloomfield and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 34.7%±13.7Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
27.4%±14.1 VT: 17.9% |
| Sheffield and Bloomfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13.2%±14Lowest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±8Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Bloomfield and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.5%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
32.7% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±5.8 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
0.9%±4.5Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,795±$12k 19% below VT |
$86,169±$16kHighest 6% above VT |
$54,375±$17kLowest 33% below VT |
| Middlebury and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $122,700±$70kLowest 61% below VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$190,600±$63k 40% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,219±$563Highest about the VT average |
$1,156±$113Lowest 6% below VT |
— |
| Sheffield and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,714Lowest 66% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$2,800 44% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36.4%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
— |
| Middlebury and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
2.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.3%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
83.2% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1976 same as VT |
1981Highest 5 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 12% below VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
30 minHighest 28% above VT |
| Work from home | 8.6%±6.3 VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
4.6%±4.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Middlebury and Sheffield 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 | — | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school 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.