Compare towns
St. Albans vs Putney vs Barre 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.6%).
Putney has the most homeowners (72.8%).
Barre has the most affordable homes ($210k median).
Bennington has the oldest population (median age 44.7).
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 | St. Albans | Putney | Barre | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,954 |
2,622Lowest |
8,412 |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-3.1% VT: +2.8% |
-6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-2.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 38.7±2 10% below VT |
37.2±5.2Lowest 14% below VT |
42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
44.7±2.3Highest 4% above VT |
| Bennington and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.5%±3.7Highest VT: 17.9% |
15.4%±4.1 VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 VT: 17.9% |
| St. Albans and Bennington 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% |
18.1%±3.8 VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Bennington and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48.6%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.1% VT: 43.8% |
36.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.6Lowest VT: 7% |
20.4%±3.4Highest VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $57,980±$7kLowest 29% below VT |
$79,706±$18kHighest about the VT average |
$65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
$59,446±$7k 27% below VT |
| Putney and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $263,400±$18k 17% below VT |
$300,000±$44kHighest 5% below VT |
$210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$213,300±$15k 33% below VT |
| Putney 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 7% below VT |
$508±$482Lowest 59% below VT |
$1,093±$58 11% 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 | $4,436Lowest 12% below VT |
$5,313Highest 5% above VT |
$5,192 3% above VT |
$4,513 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.8%±11.8 VT: 48.4% |
54.2%±19.4 VT: 48.4% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Putney 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% |
16% VT: 10.1% |
17.3% VT: 10.1% |
13.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 49%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
72.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
50.4% VT: 73.2% |
58.4% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 31 yrs older than VT |
1977Highest 1 yr newer than VT |
1947 29 yrs older than VT |
1961 15 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 4% below VT |
18 min 24% below VT |
19 min 21% below VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
| Work from home | 12.1%±3.5 VT: 16.9% |
16.9%±6.5Highest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| Putney 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 | #32 of 70 in VT | #19 of 70 in VT | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 |
| High school in town | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) | None in town | Spaulding Union High School | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4 |
— | 10.7Lowest |
14.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 6 photos → | 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.