Compare towns
Sutton vs Brookfield vs Middlebury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sutton has the most affordable homes ($231k median).
Brookfield has the most people working from home (27.3%).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Sutton | Brookfield | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 790Lowest |
1,486 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.3%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-3.7% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 46.6±5.7 8% above VT |
47±5.9Highest 9% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Brookfield and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.3%±3.4 VT: 17.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Brookfield and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.6%±2.7 VT: 21.4% |
29.7%±6.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Brookfield and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.8%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
45.3% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±1.8Lowest VT: 7% |
3.2%±2.4 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,250±$18kLowest 12% below VT |
$98,500±$23kHighest 21% above VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
| Brookfield and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $231,100±$41kLowest 27% below VT |
$339,300±$15k 7% above VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $975±$306Lowest 21% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
| Middlebury and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,975Lowest 21% below VT |
$4,560 10% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±31.1 VT: 48.4% |
30.4%±27.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Middlebury and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest VT: 10.1% |
6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85% VT: 73.2% |
87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
1975Lowest 1 yr older than VT |
1976 same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 26% above VT |
37 minHighest 55% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 11.6%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
| Brookfield and Middlebury 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 | — | — | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64 | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Middlebury Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.6 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.