Compare towns
St. Albans vs Alstead vs Barre
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
St. Albans has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.6%).
Alstead has the most homeowners (76%).
Barre has the most affordable homes ($210k 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 | St. Albans | Alstead | Barre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,954 |
1,551Lowest |
8,412Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
-6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.7±2Lowest about the U.S. average |
56±3.3Highest 44% above U.S. |
42.2±6.6 8% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 20.5%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.3%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
13.5%±3.8 U.S.: 22% |
| St. Albans and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13.9%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.4%±3.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
28.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $57,980±$7kLowest 28% below U.S. |
$64,526±$11k 20% below U.S. |
$65,625±$7kHighest 19% below U.S. |
| Barre and Alstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $263,400±$18k 21% below U.S. |
$271,600±$37kHighest 18% below U.S. |
$210,400±$15kLowest 37% below U.S. |
| Alstead and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$78Highest 19% below U.S. |
— | $1,093±$58Lowest 23% below U.S. |
| St. Albans and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,436Lowest 42% above U.S. |
$5,322Highest 71% above U.S. |
$5,192 66% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.8%±11.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
72.1%±22.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Alstead and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 49%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
76%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1973Highest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 14% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.1%±3.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±5.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #46 of 70 in VT | — | #19 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 | Fall Mountain Regional School District | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center |
| High school in town | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) | None in town | Spaulding Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Highest |
— | 10.7Lowest |
| 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.