Bennington ranks #5 in Vermont for short commutes
Bennington is ranked on 35 lists against the 74 Vermont towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 1 and the top quarter on 4.
Milder winters than 97% of Vermont
Not better or worse, just Bennington’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
The lists Bennington does best on
Each list ranks every VT town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Bennington marked.
2 spots from the top 3 for short commutes
Lists where Bennington sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Bennington lands in the top half on 8 of 22 lists
Each dot is Bennington’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in VT, the right end is last. Areas where Bennington does best come first.
Bennington out-ranks 2 of its 3 ranked neighbors
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Every VT list, and where Bennington lands
40 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Manchester · 14.4 min
#5 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Stowe · 46.1%
#17
Most trails#1 Winooski · 3.5 mi / sq mi
#25
S
Most walkable#1 Swanton · 114 / sq mi
#17 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Johnson · 2.1 yrs
#16
Cheapest rent#1 Putney · $508/mo
#34
Lowest property tax#1 Castleton · $3,167/yr
#28 People
Most educated#1 Norwich · 81%
#43
Youngest#1 Burlington · 26.8
#42
Oldest#1 Woodstock · 56.0
#33
Most residents 65+#1 Woodstock · 32.7%
#22
Most kids#1 Georgia · 27.6%
#43 Health
Healthiest#1 Shelburne · 99 / 100
#54
Lowest obesity#1 Shelburne · 22%
#51
Fewest smokers#1 Shelburne · 7%
#45
Most active#1 Richmond · 12%
#45
Fewest uninsured#1 Charlotte · 4%
#51
Lowest depression#1 Shelburne · 24%
#72
S
Closest to a top hospital#1 St. Albans · 0.7 mi
#64 
Safety
Safest#1 Castleton · 0.4
#28 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Stowe · 30.2%
#41
Most new homes#1 Morristown · 18.7 per 1,000
#55
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Stowe · +99.3%
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Essex · 5.0 per home
The number on the right is Bennington’s spot. All of Vermont’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every VT list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.