Compare towns
Sheldon vs Castleton vs Smithville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sheldon has the most people working from home (13%).
Castleton has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Smithville has the most affordable homes ($173k median).
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 | Sheldon | Castleton | Smithville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,267 |
4,453Highest |
1,525Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.9±3.5 5% above U.S. |
38.3±4.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
43.1±3.2Highest 11% above U.S. |
| Smithville and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.7%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.8%±6.4 U.S.: 22% |
16.6%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Sheldon and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 12.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.1%±3.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Castleton and Smithville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 14.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
19.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±5.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,533±$25kHighest about the U.S. average |
$73,854±$23k 9% below U.S. |
$70,433±$7kLowest 13% below U.S. |
| Sheldon and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,400±$61kHighest 18% below U.S. |
$224,800±$71k 32% below U.S. |
$173,200±$42kLowest 48% below U.S. |
| Sheldon and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$379Highest 9% below U.S. |
$1,137±$195 20% below U.S. |
$889±$186Lowest 37% below U.S. |
| Sheldon and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,578 15% above U.S. |
$3,167Lowest about the U.S. average |
$4,254Highest 36% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±27Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
54.9%±31.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castleton and Smithville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 5% below U.S. |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 13%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.2%±3.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
4.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Sheldon and Castleton 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 | — | #39 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85 | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.