Compare towns
Athens vs Orleans vs Ripton vs Westminster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orleans has the most affordable homes ($156k median).
Ripton has the highest household income ($113k).
Westminster has the most people working from home (27%).
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 | Orleans | Ripton | Westminster |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 431Lowest |
809 |
508 |
2,999Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.7% VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-5.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.3±6.5 10% above VT |
41.7±5.8Lowest 3% below VT |
47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
53.5±3.7Highest 24% above VT |
| Westminster and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 13.9%±6.5 VT: 17.9% |
17.9%±4.5 VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
18.2%±4.7Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Westminster and Orleans 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% |
19.7%±3.2Lowest VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
27.6%±6.8 VT: 21.4% |
| Ripton and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.3% VT: 43.8% |
24.8%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48%Highest VT: 43.8% |
46.3% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±3 VT: 7% |
3.7%±2.1Lowest VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3Highest VT: 7% |
4.4%±3.1 VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $68,438±$30k 16% below VT |
$57,159±$10kLowest 30% below VT |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
$71,491±$4k 12% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $240,400±$32k 24% below VT |
$156,300±$18kLowest 51% below VT |
$394,400±$61kHighest 25% above VT |
$273,800±$35k 14% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$537Highest 9% below VT |
$810±$94Lowest 34% below VT |
— | $916±$126 26% below VT |
| Athens and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,438Highest 8% above VT |
$3,019Lowest 40% below VT |
$4,915 about the VT average |
$4,063 19% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.5%±39 VT: 48.4% |
27.3%±17.2Lowest VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100Highest VT: 48.4% |
49.2%±7.5 VT: 48.4% |
| Ripton and Westminster 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% |
8.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
8.6% VT: 10.1% |
8.8% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.7% VT: 73.2% |
64.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
88.2% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 53% above VT |
31 min 33% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±7.5 VT: 16.9% |
8.3%±3.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7 VT: 16.9% |
27%±6.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Westminster and Athens 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 | — | — | — | #53 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | — | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town | Bellows Falls Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 10.6 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.