Compare towns
Springfield vs St. Johnsbury vs Sutton vs Bennington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
St. Johnsbury has the most people working from home (17.6%).
Sutton has the most homeowners (85%).
Bennington has grown the fastest since 2010 (-2.7%).
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 | St. Johnsbury | Sutton | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,084 |
7,368 |
790Lowest |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.3% VT: +2.8% |
-3.1% VT: +2.8% |
-11.3%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 43.2±3.7 about the VT average |
42.8±3.8Lowest about the VT average |
46.6±5.7Highest 8% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Sutton and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±3.4 VT: 17.9% |
21%±2.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
17.3%±3.4Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
| St. Johnsbury and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.6%±3.7 VT: 21.4% |
21.1%±3.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
21.6%±2.7 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Bennington and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
30.3% VT: 43.8% |
32.8% VT: 43.8% |
36.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±1.4Lowest VT: 7% |
5.6%±2.2 VT: 7% |
2.3%±1.8Lowest VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
| Bennington and St. Johnsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $66,571±$13k 18% below VT |
$57,738±$9kLowest 29% below VT |
$71,250±$18kHighest 12% below VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Sutton and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $192,400±$20k 39% below VT |
$177,700±$17kLowest 44% below VT |
$231,100±$41kHighest 27% below VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
| Sutton and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $963±$100 22% below VT |
$914±$44Lowest 26% below VT |
— | $1,133±$63Highest 8% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,807Highest 5% below VT |
$3,916Lowest 22% below VT |
$3,975 21% below VT |
$4,513 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.6%±15.6 VT: 48.4% |
48%±11 VT: 48.4% |
37.8%±31.1Lowest 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% VT: 10.1% |
16.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
12.4%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.7% VT: 73.2% |
59.6% VT: 73.2% |
85%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958 18 yrs older than VT |
1944Lowest 32 yrs older than VT |
1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 16% above VT |
20 min 17% below VT |
30 minHighest 26% above VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 15.1%±5.5 VT: 16.9% |
17.6%±4.8Highest VT: 16.9% |
11.6%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| St. Johnsbury 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 | #60 of 70 in VT | — | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | River Valley Technical Center · Springfield School District | — | Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64 | 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 Our Story | None yet | 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.