Compare towns
Windham vs Old Bennington vs Chester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Windham has the most renters (17.1% rent).
Old Bennington has the most people working from home (46.7%).
Chester has the most affordable homes ($233k 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 | Windham | Old Bennington | Chester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 594 |
182Lowest |
2,992Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | — | -4.7% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 44.2±7.4Lowest about the VT average |
45±21.3 4% above VT |
49.7±4.7Highest 15% above VT |
| Chester and Old Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.5%±7.9 VT: 17.9% |
22.5%±12Highest VT: 17.9% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Old Bennington and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.2%±8.1Lowest VT: 21.4% |
30.8%±8Highest VT: 21.4% |
29.8%±7.9 VT: 21.4% |
| Old Bennington and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.1% VT: 43.8% |
84.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
33.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.8%±1.1 VT: 7% |
0%±7.8Lowest VT: 7% |
5.1%±4Highest VT: 7% |
| Chester and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $94,500±$12k 16% above VT |
$168,750±$53kHighest 108% above VT |
$62,125±$8kLowest 23% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $353,900±$20k 12% above VT |
$445,500±$105kHighest 41% above VT |
$232,900±$44kLowest 26% below VT |
| Old Bennington and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,063±$1kHighest 14% below VT |
$960±$44Lowest 22% below VT |
| Old Bennington and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,951 18% above VT |
$8,690Highest 72% above VT |
$4,262Lowest 15% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.2%±94Highest VT: 48.4% |
40%±100 VT: 48.4% |
11.5%±12.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Windham and Old Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.9%Highest VT: 10.1% |
0%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
7% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
93.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
86.7% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 6 yrs newer than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1972 4 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 14% above VT |
28 minHighest 20% above VT |
28 min 18% above VT |
| Work from home | 20.5%±5.6 VT: 16.9% |
46.7%±3.9Highest VT: 16.9% |
14%±6.9Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #49 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | — | Green Mountain Unified School District #77 |
| High school in town | — | — | Green Mountain Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 8.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.