Compare towns
Windsor vs Ripton vs Middlebury vs Cornish
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Windsor has the most kids (19.5% under 18).
Ripton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+25.7%).
Middlebury has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Cornish has the oldest population (median age 54).
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 | Windsor | Ripton | Middlebury | Cornish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,554 |
508Lowest |
9,175Highest |
1,816 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+25.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.8±6.5 15% above U.S. |
47.7±14.2 23% above U.S. |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.5%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.8%±6.3 U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Windsor and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±6.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
30.5%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ripton and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
48% U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.7%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
20.1%±6.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $52,484±$11kLowest 35% below U.S. |
$112,917±$15kHighest 40% above U.S. |
$86,169±$16k 7% above U.S. |
$91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $207,500±$31kLowest 38% below U.S. |
$394,400±$61k 19% above U.S. |
$409,700±$30kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$296,000±$69k 11% below U.S. |
| Middlebury and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,026±$89Lowest 27% below U.S. |
— | $1,156±$113 18% below U.S. |
$1,221±$227Highest 14% below U.S. |
| Cornish and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,209 67% above U.S. |
$4,915Lowest 58% above U.S. |
$6,868Highest 120% above U.S. |
$5,796 86% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31.5%±17Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ripton and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 7.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 57.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 14% below U.S. |
24 min 9% below U.S. |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.3%±5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.2%±8.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Middlebury and Ripton 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 | #61 of 70 in VT | — | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Cornish School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Middlebury Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.6 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 12 photos → | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.