Compare towns
St. Johnsbury vs Wilder vs Kirby
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 affordable homes ($178k median).
Wilder has the highest household income ($75k).
Kirby has the most homeowners (93.5%).
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 | Wilder | Kirby |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,368Highest |
3,087 |
756Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+81.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 42.8±3.8 about the VT average |
45.5±8.9Highest 6% above VT |
38.8±7.1Lowest 10% below VT |
| Wilder 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 VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±4.1Lowest VT: 17.9% |
30%±5.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±3.6 VT: 21.4% |
27.3%±4.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
19.2%±5.1Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Wilder 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 VT: 43.8% |
60.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
32.4% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±2.2 VT: 7% |
8.1%±3.9Highest VT: 7% |
4.6%±3.1Lowest VT: 7% |
| Wilder and St. Johnsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $57,738±$9k 29% below VT |
$75,143±$9kHighest 7% below VT |
$54,792±$21kLowest 33% below VT |
| Wilder and St. Johnsbury 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 |
$273,200±$18k 14% below VT |
$302,900±$63kHighest 4% below VT |
| Kirby and Wilder 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 |
$1,142±$451 7% below VT |
$1,250±$326Highest about the VT average |
| Kirby and Wilder are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,916Lowest 22% below VT |
$5,505Highest 9% above VT |
$4,597 9% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48%±11Highest VT: 48.4% |
39.9%±17.2 VT: 48.4% |
25%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| St. Johnsbury and Wilder 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% |
9.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
21.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.6%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
62.9% VT: 73.2% |
93.5%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 32 yrs older than VT |
1983 7 yrs newer than VT |
1985Highest 9 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 17% below VT |
17 minLowest 29% below VT |
34 minHighest 43% above VT |
| Work from home | 17.6%±4.8 VT: 16.9% |
12.6%±6.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
20.6%±9.3Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Kirby and St. Johnsbury 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 | — | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.