Compare towns
Sheffield vs Barre vs Marshfield
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 ($172k median).
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Marshfield has the most people working from home (17.5%).
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 | Barre | Marshfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 573 |
8,412Highest |
470Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 42±8Lowest about the VT average |
42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
42.4±8.8Highest about the VT average |
| Marshfield and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±6.6 VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
19.4%±9.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Marshfield and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.2%±4 VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9Highest VT: 21.4% |
10.2%±4.4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Barre and Sheffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
36.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
35.7% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.9%±4.7Highest VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9Lowest VT: 7% |
3.6%±2.4 VT: 7% |
| Sheffield and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $58,333±$26kLowest 28% below VT |
$65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
$84,375±$20kHighest 4% above VT |
| Marshfield and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $171,900±$50kLowest 46% below VT |
$210,400±$15kHighest 34% below VT |
$178,300±$31k 44% below VT |
| Barre and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $967±$79Lowest 22% below VT |
$1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$1,125±$79Highest 9% below VT |
| Marshfield and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,123Lowest 58% below VT |
$5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$3,269 35% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 61.5%±41.2Highest VT: 48.4% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
52.4%±62.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Sheffield and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.6% VT: 10.1% |
17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
4.9%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
81.2% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 11 yrs newer than VT |
1947 29 yrs older than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 28% above VT |
19 minLowest 21% below VT |
29 min 24% above VT |
| Work from home | 6.1%±2.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
17.5%±7.2Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Marshfield and Barre 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 | — | #19 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64 | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Spaulding Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7 |
— |
| 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.