Compare towns
St. Albans vs Braintree vs Windsor 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. Albans has the most expensive homes ($263k median).
Braintree has the most homeowners (81%).
Windsor 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 | St. Albans | Braintree | Windsor | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,954 |
1,026Lowest |
3,554 |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.6% VT: +2.8% |
-3.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+0.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 38.7±2Lowest 10% below VT |
58.4±2.4Highest 35% above VT |
44.8±6.5 4% above VT |
44.7±2.3 4% above VT |
| Kids under 18 | 20.5%±3.7Highest VT: 17.9% |
12.3%±3.2Lowest VT: 17.9% |
19.5%±5.2 VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
| St. Albans and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 13.9%±2.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
33.2%±3.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
29.7%±6.9 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Braintree and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.7% VT: 43.8% |
30.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
39.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.6 VT: 7% |
1.8%±1.3 VT: 7% |
0.7%±0.8Lowest VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6Highest VT: 7% |
| Bennington and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $57,980±$7k 29% below VT |
$79,803±$5kHighest about the VT average |
$52,484±$11kLowest 35% below VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $263,400±$18kHighest 17% below VT |
$217,700±$28k 31% below VT |
$207,500±$31kLowest 34% below VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
| St. Albans and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$78Highest 7% below VT |
$840±$405Lowest 32% below VT |
$1,026±$89 17% below VT |
$1,133±$63 8% below VT |
| St. Albans and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,436 12% below VT |
$3,908Lowest 22% below VT |
$5,209Highest 3% above VT |
$4,513 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.8%±11.8 VT: 48.4% |
43.4%±29.4 VT: 48.4% |
31.5%±17Lowest VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington 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 VT: 10.1% |
11.1% VT: 10.1% |
7.8%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 49%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
81%Highest VT: 73.2% |
57.8% VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 31 yrs older than VT |
1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
1945Lowest 31 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 4% below VT |
26 minHighest 11% above VT |
23 min 3% below VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 12.1%±3.5 VT: 16.9% |
19%±7.2Highest VT: 16.9% |
10.3%±5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| Braintree and Bennington 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 | #46 of 70 in VT | — | #61 of 70 in VT | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | — | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) | None in town | — | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Lowest |
— | — | 14.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 12 photos → | 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.