Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Brattleboro vs Hartford
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 affordable homes ($196k median).
Brattleboro has the most people working from home (17.9%).
Hartford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.4%).
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 | Bellows Falls | Brattleboro | Hartford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
12,122Highest |
10,736 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+1.1% VT: +2.8% |
+7.4%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7Lowest 4% below VT |
45.6±4.5Highest 6% above VT |
43.2±3.9 about the VT average |
| Brattleboro and Hartford 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% |
19%±2.8 VT: 17.9% |
18%±3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Bellows Falls and Brattleboro 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% |
25.5%±3.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
22.5%±3.3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Brattleboro 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% |
46.5% VT: 43.8% |
47.6%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3Highest VT: 7% |
4.1%±1.6Lowest VT: 7% |
4.9%±1.7 VT: 7% |
| Bellows Falls and Hartford 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 |
$58,241±$8k 28% below VT |
$78,125±$7kHighest 4% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 38% below VT |
$257,300±$18k 19% below VT |
$304,500±$26kHighest 4% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109Lowest 16% below VT |
$1,074±$58 13% below VT |
$1,218±$118Highest about the VT average |
| Hartford and Brattleboro 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 |
$5,700 13% above VT |
$5,773Highest 15% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
46.9%±9.6Highest VT: 48.4% |
44.6%±12.7 VT: 48.4% |
| Brattleboro and Hartford 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% |
17.8% VT: 10.1% |
11.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
58.5% VT: 73.2% |
67.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1955 21 yrs older than VT |
1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minHighest 14% below VT |
19 min 19% below VT |
18 minLowest 22% below VT |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
17.9%±4Highest VT: 16.9% |
13.9%±3.5 VT: 16.9% |
| Brattleboro and Hartford 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 | — | #33 of 70 in VT | #34 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Hartford School District |
| High school in town | — | Brattleboro Union High School | Hartford High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.0Lowest |
9.6Highest |
| 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.