Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Durham vs St. Albans vs Westminster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bellows Falls has the most affordable homes ($196k median).
Durham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.8%).
St. Albans has the most renters (51% rent).
Westminster has the most people working from home (27%).
Durham is a college town. 55.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Durham | St. Albans | Westminster |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
15,080Highest |
6,954 |
2,999 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7 6% above U.S. |
20.8±0.3Lowest 47% below U.S. |
38.7±2 about the U.S. average |
53.5±3.7Highest 38% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
10.3%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.7 U.S.: 22% |
18.2%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Bellows Falls and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.7%±5.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
11.5%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
13.9%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.6%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Westminster 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
75.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
31.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
55.1%±3.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±3.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $56,086±$2kLowest 31% below U.S. |
$124,056±$21kHighest 54% above U.S. |
$57,980±$7k 28% below U.S. |
$71,491±$4k 11% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 41% below U.S. |
$504,300±$41kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$263,400±$18k 21% below U.S. |
$273,800±$35k 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109 27% below U.S. |
$1,429±$143Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,150±$78 19% below U.S. |
$916±$126Lowest 35% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448 43% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$4,436 42% above U.S. |
$4,063Lowest 30% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
66.4%±16Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.8%±11.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
49.2%±7.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Durham and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 25.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
15.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
19.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
64.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
49%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1945 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 24% below U.S. |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 10% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.4%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
27%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Westminster and Durham 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 | — | #9 of 120 in NH | #46 of 70 in VT | #53 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Oyster River Coop School District | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District |
| High school in town | — | Oyster River High School | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) | Bellows Falls Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.3Highest |
11.4 |
10.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 51 photos → | 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.