Compare towns
St. Johnsbury vs Walpole 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. Johnsbury has the most people working from home (17.6%).
Walpole has the most expensive homes ($320k median).
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
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 | Walpole | Barre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,368 |
3,690Lowest |
8,412Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.8±3.8 10% above U.S. |
46.5±10.4Highest 20% above U.S. |
42.2±6.6Lowest 8% above U.S. |
| Walpole and St. Johnsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
22.2%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Walpole and St. Johnsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±5.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.4%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Walpole 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%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
32.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
36.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| St. Johnsbury and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $57,738±$9kLowest 28% below U.S. |
$82,617±$16kHighest about the U.S. average |
$65,625±$7k 19% below U.S. |
| Walpole and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $177,700±$17kLowest 47% below U.S. |
$319,800±$48kHighest 4% below U.S. |
$210,400±$15k 37% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $914±$44Lowest 35% below U.S. |
$1,165±$150Highest 18% below U.S. |
$1,093±$58 23% below U.S. |
| Walpole and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,916Lowest 26% above U.S. |
$6,078Highest 95% above U.S. |
$5,192 66% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48%±11 U.S.: 51.1% |
51.6%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Walpole and St. Johnsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 36 yrs older than U.S. |
1967Highest 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 26% below U.S. |
23 minHighest 13% below U.S. |
19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.6%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| St. Johnsbury and Barre 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 | #27 of 120 in NH | #19 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Fall Mountain Regional School District | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Spaulding Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.