What stands out worked out from the figures below

Winooski has the most renters (64.8% rent).

Middlebury has the most homeowners (65.1%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Winooski	Middlebury
People
Population	8,293Lowest	9,175Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10%Highest VT: +2.8%	+7.7%Lowest VT: +2.8%
Median age	33.3±1.7Highest 23% below VT	31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT
	Winooski and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.5%±2.8Highest VT: 17.9%	11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9%
	Winooski and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	10.9%±2.7Lowest VT: 21.4%	20.7%±2.6Highest VT: 21.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	59.1%Highest VT: 43.8%	55.4%Lowest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	12.3%±4.4Lowest VT: 7%	32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$79,522±$11kLowest about the VT average	$86,169±$16kHighest 6% above VT
	Middlebury and Winooski are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$381,500±$25kLowest 20% above VT	$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT
	Middlebury and Winooski are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,643±$90Highest 33% above VT	$1,156±$113Lowest 6% below VT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,802Lowest 35% above VT	$6,868Highest 36% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.8%±9.5Lowest VT: 48.4%	50.9%±14.4Highest VT: 48.4%
	Middlebury and Winooski are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.8%Highest VT: 10.1%	10.7%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	35.2%Lowest VT: 73.2%	65.1%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1974Lowest 2 yrs older than VT	1976Highest same as VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minHighest 7% below VT	16 minLowest 33% below VT
Work from home	16.4%±4Lowest VT: 16.9%	18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 16.9%
	Middlebury and Winooski 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	#70 of 70 in VT	#17 of 70 in VT
School district	Winooski Incorporated School District	Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55
High school in town	Winooski High School	Middlebury Union High School
Students per teacherat that high school	6.4Lowest	12.6Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.