Compare towns
Springfield vs Charleston vs Bennington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Springfield has the highest household income ($67k).
Charleston has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.2%).
Bennington has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Springfield | Charleston | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,084 |
936Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.3%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 43.2±3.7Lowest about the VT average |
58.4±9.3Highest 35% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±3.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.2%±4.2Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Springfield and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.6%±3.7Lowest VT: 21.4% |
37.7%±8.6Highest VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.3% VT: 43.8% |
13.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
36.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±1.4Lowest VT: 7% |
3.7%±2.3 VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
| Bennington and Charleston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,571±$13kHighest 18% below VT |
$49,286±$17kLowest 39% below VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Springfield and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $192,400±$20kLowest 39% below VT |
$238,000±$53kHighest 25% below VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
| Charleston and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $963±$100Lowest 22% below VT |
$979±$444 21% below VT |
$1,133±$63Highest 8% below VT |
| Bennington and Charleston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,807Highest 5% below VT |
$3,750Lowest 26% below VT |
$4,513 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.6%±15.6 VT: 48.4% |
32.7%±26.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
12.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.7% VT: 73.2% |
87.1%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 18 yrs older than VT |
1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 16% above VT |
26 min 12% above VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 15.1%±5.5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
18.7%±7.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Charleston and Springfield 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 | #64 of 70 in VT | — | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | River Valley Technical Center · Springfield School District | Charleston School District | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Springfield High School | None in town | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.3Lowest |
— | 14.7Highest |
| 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.