Compare towns
Sutton vs Plainfield vs Middlebury vs Leicester
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).
Plainfield has the oldest housing (typical home built 1955).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Leicester has the oldest population (median age 48.8).
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 | Plainfield | Middlebury | Leicester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 790Lowest |
1,314 |
9,175Highest |
1,026 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.3%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-10% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 46.6±5.7 8% above VT |
48.1±5.5 12% above VT |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
48.8±3.8Highest 13% above VT |
| Leicester and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.3%±3.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
16.3%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
14.9%±5.1 VT: 17.9% |
| Sutton and Plainfield 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% |
21.1%±3.5 VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
24.5%±6.7Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Leicester 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% |
48.2% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
35.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±1.8 VT: 7% |
2.1%±1.3 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
1.3%±1.6Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $71,250±$18k 12% below VT |
$69,250±$31kLowest 15% below VT |
$86,169±$16kHighest 6% above VT |
$70,417±$30k 13% below VT |
| Middlebury and Sutton 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 |
$318,400±$34k about the VT average |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$309,700±$107k about the VT average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,153±$103 7% below VT |
$1,156±$113Highest 6% below VT |
$1,098±$300Lowest 11% below VT |
| Middlebury and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,975 21% below VT |
$4,806 5% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$3,822Lowest 24% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±31.1 VT: 48.4% |
73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
33.3%±40.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Middlebury 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% |
11.6% VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
11.8% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85% VT: 73.2% |
80.9% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
85.5%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979 3 yrs newer than VT |
1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1976 same as VT |
1981Highest 5 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 26% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
28 min 20% above VT |
| Work from home | 11.6%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
16.4%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
12.7%±5.9 VT: 16.9% |
| Middlebury and Plainfield 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 | — | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school 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 | 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.