Compare towns
St. Johnsbury vs Castleton vs Barre vs Springfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
St. Johnsbury has the most people working from home (17.6%).
Castleton has the most homeowners (79%).
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Springfield has the oldest population (median age 43.2).
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. Johnsbury | Castleton | Barre | Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,368 |
4,453Lowest |
8,412 |
9,084Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-5.5% VT: +2.8% |
-6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-3.3% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.8±3.8 about the VT average |
38.3±4.3Lowest 11% below VT |
42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
43.2±3.7Highest about the VT average |
| Springfield and St. Johnsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 21%±2.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
18.8%±6.4 VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
18.6%±3.4 VT: 17.9% |
| St. Johnsbury and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±3.6 VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±4.6 VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9Lowest VT: 21.4% |
23.6%±3.7Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Springfield and St. Johnsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.3% VT: 43.8% |
37.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
36.1% VT: 43.8% |
23.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±2.2 VT: 7% |
19.3%±1.8Highest VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9 VT: 7% |
2.3%±1.4Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $57,738±$9kLowest 29% below VT |
$73,854±$23kHighest 9% below VT |
$65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
$66,571±$13k 18% below VT |
| Castleton and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $177,700±$17kLowest 44% below VT |
$224,800±$71kHighest 29% below VT |
$210,400±$15k 34% below VT |
$192,400±$20k 39% below VT |
| Castleton and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $914±$44Lowest 26% below VT |
$1,137±$195Highest 8% below VT |
$1,093±$58 11% below VT |
$963±$100 22% below VT |
| Castleton and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,916 22% below VT |
$3,167Lowest 37% below VT |
$5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$4,807 5% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48%±11 VT: 48.4% |
67.7%±21.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
49.6%±15.6 VT: 48.4% |
| Castleton and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 16.8% VT: 10.1% |
12.5%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
14.8% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.6% VT: 73.2% |
79%Highest VT: 73.2% |
50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
67.7% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 32 yrs older than VT |
1974Highest 2 yrs older than VT |
1947 29 yrs older than VT |
1958 18 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 17% below VT |
19 min 17% below VT |
19 minLowest 21% below VT |
27 minHighest 16% above VT |
| Work from home | 17.6%±4.8Highest VT: 16.9% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±5.5 VT: 16.9% |
| St. Johnsbury and Springfield 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 | #60 of 70 in VT | #39 of 70 in VT | #19 of 70 in VT | #64 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | River Valley Technical Center · Springfield School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Spaulding Union High School | Springfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.7Lowest |
14.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | 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.