Compare towns
Waterbury vs Ira
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Waterbury has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Ira has the most affordable homes ($273k median).
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 | Waterbury | Ira |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 5,405Highest |
381Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.3% VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 43.2±3.7Lowest about the VT average |
54.1±5.5Highest 26% above VT |
| Kids under 18 | 21.9%±4.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
10.5%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±4.4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
28.9%±3.3Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 54.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
37.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.8 VT: 7% |
3.4%±3.5 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $103,917±$23kHighest 28% above VT |
$71,827±$5kLowest 12% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $447,200±$40kHighest 41% above VT |
$272,900±$18kLowest 14% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,027±$535Highest 17% below VT |
$942±$52Lowest 24% below VT |
| Waterbury and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,435Highest 28% above VT |
$4,146Lowest 18% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.8%±21.7Highest VT: 48.4% |
36.4%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Waterbury and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 7.9%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
14.4%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.6%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
90.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 7 yrs newer than VT |
1975Lowest 1 yr older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 28% above VT |
28 minLowest 20% above VT |
| Work from home | 28.3%±6.8Highest VT: 16.9% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #20 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Harwood Unified Union School District #60 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.