Compare towns
St. Albans vs Sutton vs Barre vs Bennington
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 the youngest population (median age 38.7).
Sutton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Barre has the most affordable homes ($210k median).
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 | Sutton | Barre | Bennington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,954 |
2,239Lowest |
8,412 |
15,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.7±2Lowest about the U.S. average |
48.1±4.1Highest 24% above U.S. |
42.2±6.6 8% above U.S. |
44.7±2.3 15% above U.S. |
| Sutton and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.5%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 13.9%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.6%±5.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.4%±3.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bennington and Sutton 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
44.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±3.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bennington and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $57,980±$7kLowest 28% below U.S. |
$130,313±$31kHighest 61% above U.S. |
$65,625±$7k 19% below U.S. |
$59,446±$7k 26% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $263,400±$18k 21% below U.S. |
$362,600±$16kHighest 9% above U.S. |
$210,400±$15kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$213,300±$15k 36% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$78 19% below U.S. |
$1,656±$614Highest 17% above U.S. |
$1,093±$58Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,133±$63 20% below U.S. |
| Sutton and St. Albans 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. |
$7,652Highest 145% above U.S. |
$5,192 66% above U.S. |
$4,513 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.8%±11.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
27.6%±47.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
34.4%±10.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
68.8%±14.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
13.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 49%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
95.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
58.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 14% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
19 min 30% below U.S. |
17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.1%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.1%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bennington and Sutton 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 | — | #19 of 70 in VT | #58 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 | Kearsarge Regional School District | 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) | Kearsarge Regional High School | Spaulding Union High School | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4 |
10.4Lowest |
10.7 |
14.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.