Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Hanover vs St. Albans
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).
Hanover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.4%).
St. Albans has the most renters (51% rent).
Hanover is a college town. 36.9% 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 | Hanover | St. Albans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
11,685Highest |
6,954 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7Highest 6% above U.S. |
28.7±5.1Lowest 26% below U.S. |
38.7±2 about the U.S. average |
| Bellows Falls and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.7 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%±5.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.7%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
13.9%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bellows Falls and Hanover 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% |
88.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
31.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
36.9%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,086±$2kLowest 31% below U.S. |
$169,583±$36kHighest 110% above U.S. |
$57,980±$7k 28% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 41% below U.S. |
$824,900±$61kHighest 148% above U.S. |
$263,400±$18k 21% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109Lowest 27% below U.S. |
$2,253±$217Highest 59% above U.S. |
$1,150±$78 19% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448 43% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$4,436Lowest 42% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
66.4%±17.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.8%±11.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hanover 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% |
5.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
19.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
49%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1945 35 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 24% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 26% below U.S. |
23 minHighest 14% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
26.4%±5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #1 of 120 in NH | #46 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Dresden School District · Hanover School District | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 |
| High school in town | — | Hanover High School | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7Lowest |
11.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.