Compare towns
Westminster vs Middlebury vs Windham vs Brookline
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Westminster has the most kids (28.4% under 18).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Windham has the highest household income ($95k).
Brookline has the most affordable homes ($291k median).
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 | Westminster | Middlebury | Windham | Brookline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 497Lowest |
9,175Highest |
594 |
531 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— | +1.9%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 43.3±11.5 about the VT average |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
44.2±7.4 about the VT average |
45.1±2.7Highest 5% above VT |
| Brookline and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 28.4%±7.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.5%±7.9 VT: 17.9% |
20%±6 VT: 17.9% |
| Westminster and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±11.4 VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6 VT: 21.4% |
23.2%±8.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
19.6%±4.2Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Windham and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.4% VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
48.1% VT: 43.8% |
41.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.2%±3.5 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
3.2%±1.6 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $81,000±$22k about the VT average |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
$94,500±$12kHighest 16% above VT |
$80,833±$16kLowest about the VT average |
| Windham and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $313,600±$39k about the VT average |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
$353,900±$20k 12% above VT |
$290,700±$37kLowest 8% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $749±$315Lowest 39% below VT |
$1,156±$113 6% below VT |
— | $1,732±$232Highest 40% above VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,480Lowest 11% below VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
$5,951 18% above VT |
$5,000 about the VT average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 6.1%±43.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4% |
41.2%±94 VT: 48.4% |
47.8%±94.7 VT: 48.4% |
| Middlebury and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7%Highest VT: 10.1% |
9.9% VT: 10.1% |
6.2% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.1% VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
82.9% VT: 73.2% |
84.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1976 same as VT |
1982Highest 6 yrs newer than VT |
1975 1 yr older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 26% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
27 min 14% above VT |
28 min 21% above VT |
| Work from home | 23.1%±15.9Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
20.5%±5.6 VT: 16.9% |
20.6%±5.2 VT: 16.9% |
| Westminster and Brookline 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 | #53 of 70 in VT | #17 of 70 in VT | — | — |
| School district | — | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — | — |
| High school 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.