Compare towns
Shelburne vs Middlebury vs Williston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Shelburne has the most people working from home (31.4%).
Middlebury has the youngest population (median age 31.8).
Williston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.2%).
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 | Shelburne | Middlebury | Williston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,969Lowest |
9,175 |
10,144Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+16.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 50.9±3.2Highest 18% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
45.4±4.5 5% above VT |
| Shelburne and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.2%±3.9 VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
20.5%±5.2Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Williston and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.2%±4.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
21%±3.5 VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 70.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
55.4% VT: 43.8% |
54.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±2.9Lowest VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
5.7%±2.7 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $115,963±$16kHighest 43% above VT |
$86,169±$16kLowest 6% above VT |
$106,967±$12k 32% above VT |
| Shelburne and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $588,100±$44kHighest 86% above VT |
$409,700±$30kLowest 29% above VT |
$475,800±$40k 50% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,442±$589 17% above VT |
$1,156±$113Lowest 6% below VT |
$1,832±$130Highest 48% above VT |
| Williston and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,173Highest 62% above VT |
$6,868 36% above VT |
$5,592Lowest 11% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.7%±10.6Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
46.9%±17.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Middlebury and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.4% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
4.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.9% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
75.1%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 10 yrs newer than VT |
1976Lowest same as VT |
1993Highest 17 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minHighest 14% below VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
20 min 16% below VT |
| Work from home | 31.4%±7.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
22.3%±7.6 VT: 16.9% |
| Shelburne and Williston 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 | #8 of 70 in VT | #17 of 70 in VT | #11 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 |
| High school in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.6 |
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| 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.