Compare towns
Stannard vs Bennington vs Ripton vs Ira
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Stannard has the most homeowners (98.1%).
Bennington has the most renters (41.6% rent).
Ripton has the highest household income ($113k).
Ira has the oldest population (median age 54.1).
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 | Stannard | Bennington | Ripton | Ira |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 228Lowest |
15,249Highest |
508 |
381 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -2.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 48.3±14.6 12% above VT |
44.7±2.3Lowest 4% above VT |
47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
54.1±5.5Highest 26% above VT |
| Ira and Stannard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 13.2%±9.1 VT: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3 VT: 17.9% |
10.5%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Bennington and Stannard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.9%±8.5 VT: 21.4% |
25.2%±2.8Lowest VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
28.9%±3.3 VT: 21.4% |
| Ripton and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% VT: 43.8% |
36.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48%Highest VT: 43.8% |
37.1% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±6.2Lowest VT: 7% |
5.8%±1.6 VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3Highest VT: 7% |
3.4%±3.5 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $66,979±$30k 18% below VT |
$59,446±$7kLowest 27% below VT |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$71,827±$5k 12% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $216,200±$44k 32% below VT |
$213,300±$15kLowest 33% below VT |
$394,400±$61kHighest 25% above VT |
$272,900±$18k 14% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,133±$63Highest 8% below VT |
— | $942±$52Lowest 24% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,183 17% below VT |
$4,513 10% below VT |
$4,915Highest about the VT average |
$4,146Lowest 18% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
68.8%±14.1Highest VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100 VT: 48.4% |
36.4%±100 VT: 48.4% |
| Bennington and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.9%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
13.2% VT: 10.1% |
8.6% VT: 10.1% |
14.4%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 98.1%Highest VT: 73.2% |
58.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
90.9% VT: 73.2% |
90.7% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Highest 1 yr newer than VT |
1961Lowest 15 yrs older than VT |
1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1975 1 yr older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 16% above VT |
17 minLowest 27% below VT |
24 min about the VT average |
28 minHighest 20% above VT |
| Work from home | 8.6%±5.5 VT: 16.9% |
15.1%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7Highest VT: 16.9% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Ripton 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 | — | #58 of 70 in VT | — | — |
| School district | — | Southwest Tech · Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | — | Mt. Anthony Senior Union High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.7 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.