What stands out worked out from the figures below

South Barre has the shortest commute (15 min average).

Dummerston has the most kids (21.7% under 18).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	South Barre	Dummerston
People
Population	1,346Lowest	2,090Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.1%Lowest VT: +2.8%	+0.1%Highest VT: +2.8%
Median age	52.7±2.6Highest 22% above VT	45.6±11.7Lowest 6% above VT
	South Barre and Dummerston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	9.9%±5.9Lowest VT: 17.9%	21.7%±6Highest VT: 17.9%
	Dummerston and South Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	11.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 21.4%	24.3%±3Highest VT: 21.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	34.7%Lowest VT: 43.8%	58.7%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0.8%±1.5Lowest VT: 7%	1.3%±1.1Highest VT: 7%
	Dummerston and South Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$78,050±$16kLowest 4% below VT	$101,696±$21kHighest 25% above VT
	Dummerston and South Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$257,600±$25kLowest 19% below VT	$335,300±$22kHighest 6% above VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,609±$371Highest 30% above VT	$1,392±$126Lowest 13% above VT
	South Barre and Dummerston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,750Highest 6% below VT	$4,536Lowest 10% below VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	36.1%±40.7Lowest VT: 48.4%	44.1%±32.2Highest VT: 48.4%
	Dummerston and South Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.4%Highest VT: 10.1%	4.5%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	82.7%Lowest VT: 73.2%	92.9%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1969Lowest 7 yrs older than VT	1971Highest 5 yrs older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	15 minLowest 36% below VT	21 minHighest 11% below VT
Work from home	16.5%±10.5Lowest VT: 16.9%	25.9%±10.3Highest VT: 16.9%
	Dummerston and South Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	—	Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96
High school in town	—	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.