What stands out worked out from the figures below

Springfield has the most expensive homes ($192k median).

Washburn has the most affordable homes ($113k 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.

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

Measure	Springfield	Washburn
People
Population	9,084Highest	1,355Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-9.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.2±3.7Lowest 11% above U.S.	48.2±7.7Highest 24% above U.S.
	Washburn and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.6%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22%	21.7%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Washburn and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	23.6%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	24%±3.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Washburn 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 U.S.: 35.7%	26%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.3%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.6%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Washburn and Springfield 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 U.S.	$56,196±$6kLowest 30% below U.S.
	Springfield and Washburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$192,400±$20kHighest 42% below U.S.	$112,900±$14kLowest 66% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$963±$100Highest 32% below U.S.	$482±$62Lowest 66% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,807Highest 54% above U.S.	$1,571Lowest 50% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49.6%±15.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%	33.3%±24.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Springfield and Washburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	12.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	78.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S.	1969Highest 11 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minHighest 3% above U.S.	21 minLowest 21% below U.S.
Work from home	15.1%±5.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	9.7%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Springfield and Washburn 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	—
School district	River Valley Technical Center · Springfield School District	RSU 45/MSAD 45
High school in town	Springfield High School	Washburn District High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.3Highest	12.0Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.