Compare towns
Athens vs Fairfax vs Westminster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Athens has the most renters (26.3% rent).
Fairfax has the highest household income ($129k).
Westminster has the shortest commute (24 min average).
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 | Athens | Fairfax | Westminster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 431Lowest |
5,226Highest |
2,999 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +17%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-5.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.3±6.5 10% above VT |
38.8±3.3Lowest 10% below VT |
53.5±3.7Highest 24% above VT |
| Westminster and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.9%±6.5Lowest VT: 17.9% |
24%±5.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
18.2%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
| Fairfax and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.6%±4.6 VT: 21.4% |
12.5%±4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
27.6%±6.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Westminster and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
49.5%Highest VT: 43.8% |
46.3% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±3Highest VT: 7% |
4.3%±2.6Lowest VT: 7% |
4.4%±3.1 VT: 7% |
| Athens and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,438±$30kLowest 16% below VT |
$128,963±$29kHighest 59% above VT |
$71,491±$4k 12% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $240,400±$32kLowest 24% below VT |
$378,200±$22kHighest 19% above VT |
$273,800±$35k 14% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$537Highest 9% below VT |
$1,080±$131 12% below VT |
$916±$126Lowest 26% below VT |
| Athens and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,438 8% above VT |
$5,497Highest 9% above VT |
$4,063Lowest 19% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.5%±39 VT: 48.4% |
43.3%±33.9Lowest VT: 48.4% |
49.2%±7.5Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Westminster and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.1%Highest VT: 10.1% |
5.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
8.8% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
85.7% VT: 73.2% |
88.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 3 yrs older than VT |
1994Highest 18 yrs newer than VT |
1980 4 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 53% above VT |
31 min 31% above VT |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±7.5Lowest VT: 16.9% |
26.7%±7.6 VT: 16.9% |
27%±6.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Westminster 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 | — | #36 of 70 in VT | #53 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Fairfax School District | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District |
| High school in town | — | Bellows Free Academy Middle/High School (Fairfax) | Bellows Falls Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.8Lowest |
10.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.