Compare towns
Barre vs Bow vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barre has the most affordable homes ($210k median).
Bow has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.4%).
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 | Barre | Bow | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412 |
8,335Lowest |
16,038Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6Highest 8% above U.S. |
41.5±2 7% above U.S. |
41.1±2.9Lowest 6% above U.S. |
| Barre and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.5%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6 U.S.: 22% |
27.4%±3.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Windham and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
15.5%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Barre and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
60.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
62.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bow and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$172,857±$16k 114% above U.S. |
$189,583±$19kHighest 135% above U.S. |
| Windham and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$506,500±$34k 52% above U.S. |
$723,300±$50kHighest 117% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,539±$178 9% above U.S. |
$3,218±$350Highest 128% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192Lowest 66% above U.S. |
$9,584 207% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.2%±50.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Windham and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
93.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1985 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1996Highest 16 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.9%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bow and Windham 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 | #19 of 70 in VT | #26 of 120 in NH | #13 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Bow School District | Windham School District |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | Bow High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
12.8Highest |
12.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.