Compare towns
Arlington vs Fairfax vs Williston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Arlington has the most people working from home (35.9%).
Fairfax has the highest household income ($129k).
Williston has the most expensive homes ($476k 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 | Arlington | Fairfax | Williston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,598Lowest |
5,226 |
10,144Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+17%Highest VT: +2.8% |
+16.2% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 37.6±4Lowest 13% below VT |
38.8±3.3 10% below VT |
45.4±4.5Highest 5% above VT |
| Williston and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±3.9 VT: 17.9% |
24%±5.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
20.5%±5.2Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Fairfax and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±3.2 VT: 21.4% |
12.5%±4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
21%±3.5Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Williston and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 55.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
49.5%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
54.9% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Lowest VT: 7% |
4.3%±2.6 VT: 7% |
5.7%±2.7Highest VT: 7% |
| Williston and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $102,308±$11kLowest 26% above VT |
$128,963±$29kHighest 59% above VT |
$106,967±$12k 32% above VT |
| Fairfax and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $318,500±$59kLowest about the VT average |
$378,200±$22k 19% above VT |
$475,800±$40kHighest 50% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,191±$172 3% below VT |
$1,080±$131Lowest 12% below VT |
$1,832±$130Highest 48% above VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,549Lowest 10% below VT |
$5,497 9% above VT |
$5,592Highest 11% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 77.1%±9.5Highest VT: 48.4% |
43.3%±33.9Lowest VT: 48.4% |
46.9%±17.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 7.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
5.1% VT: 10.1% |
4.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84% VT: 73.2% |
85.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
75.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 10 yrs older than VT |
1994Highest 18 yrs newer than VT |
1993 17 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 13% below VT |
31 minHighest 31% above VT |
20 minLowest 16% below VT |
| Work from home | 35.9%±10.8Highest VT: 16.9% |
26.7%±7.6 VT: 16.9% |
22.3%±7.6Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Arlington and Fairfax 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 | #50 of 70 in VT | #36 of 70 in VT | #11 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Arlington School District | Fairfax School District | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 |
| High school in town | Arlington Memorial | Bellows Free Academy Middle/High School (Fairfax) | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.6Highest |
9.8Lowest |
— |
| 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.