Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Hooksett vs Walpole 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).
Hooksett has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.6%).
Westminster has the most people working from home (27%).
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 | Hooksett | Walpole | Westminster |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
15,057Highest |
3,690 |
2,999 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7Lowest 6% above U.S. |
41.3±1.5Lowest 6% above U.S. |
46.5±10.4 20% above U.S. |
53.5±3.7Highest 38% above U.S. |
| Westminster and Walpole 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% |
17.4%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.2%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
18.2%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Bellows Falls and Walpole 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% |
17.3%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±5.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.6%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Westminster and Walpole 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% |
39.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
32.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
8.9%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±3.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Hooksett and Bellows Falls 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 U.S. |
$117,962±$11kHighest 46% above U.S. |
$82,617±$16k about the U.S. average |
$71,491±$4k 11% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 41% below U.S. |
$407,000±$26kHighest 22% above U.S. |
$319,800±$48k 4% below U.S. |
$273,800±$35k 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109 27% below U.S. |
$1,661±$206Highest 18% above U.S. |
$1,165±$150 18% below U.S. |
$916±$126Lowest 35% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448 43% above U.S. |
$6,554Highest 110% above U.S. |
$6,078 95% above U.S. |
$4,063Lowest 30% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
41.7%±16.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.6%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
49.2%±7.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Walpole and Westminster 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% |
3.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
88.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
24 min 10% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.4%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
27%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #30 of 120 in NH | #27 of 120 in NH | #53 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Hooksett School District | Fall Mountain Regional School District | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town | Bellows Falls Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 10.6 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.