Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Barre vs Rockingham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bellows Falls has the most kids (22.6% under 18).
Barre has grown the fastest since 2010 (-6.2%).
Rockingham has the most people working from home (17.9%).
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 | Bellows Falls | Barre | Rockingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
8,412Highest |
4,807 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-6.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-8.5% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7Lowest 4% below VT |
42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
46.4±2.6Highest 8% above VT |
| Rockingham and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
19.2%±4.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Bellows Falls and Rockingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.7%±5.7 VT: 21.4% |
19.4%±3.9Lowest VT: 21.4% |
29.8%±5Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Rockingham and Bellows Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
36.1% VT: 43.8% |
37.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3Highest VT: 7% |
3.4%±1.9Lowest VT: 7% |
6.1%±2.9 VT: 7% |
| Bellows Falls and Rockingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,086±$2kLowest 31% below VT |
$65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
$70,857±$16kHighest 13% below VT |
| Rockingham and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 38% below VT |
$210,400±$15k 34% below VT |
$210,900±$14kHighest 33% below VT |
| Rockingham and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109Lowest 16% below VT |
$1,093±$58Highest 11% below VT |
$1,062±$101 14% below VT |
| Barre and Rockingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448Lowest 12% below VT |
$5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$4,887 3% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8 VT: 48.4% |
34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
46.7%±13.7Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Rockingham and Bellows Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 25.1%Highest VT: 10.1% |
17.3% VT: 10.1% |
16.7%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7% VT: 73.2% |
50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
61.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1947Highest 29 yrs older than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minHighest 14% below VT |
19 minLowest 21% below VT |
20 min 16% below VT |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
17.9%±7.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Rockingham and Barre 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 | #65 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Rockingham School District |
| High school in town | — | Spaulding Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7 |
— |
| 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.