What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bellows Falls has the most people working from home (6.9%).

Ira has the most homeowners (90.7%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bellows Falls	Ira
People
Population	2,891Highest	381Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-12.7% VT: +2.8%	—
Median age	41.3±6.7Lowest 4% below VT	54.1±5.5Highest 26% above VT
Kids under 18	22.6%±6.4Highest VT: 17.9%	10.5%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9%
Age 65+	23.7%±5.7Lowest VT: 21.4%	28.9%±3.3Highest VT: 21.4%
	Ira 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%	37.1%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	8.2%±4.3Highest VT: 7%	3.4%±3.5Lowest VT: 7%
	Bellows Falls and Ira 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	$71,827±$5kHighest 12% below VT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$195,600±$35kLowest 38% below VT	$272,900±$18kHighest 14% below VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,038±$109Highest 16% below VT	$942±$52Lowest 24% below VT
	Bellows Falls and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,448Highest 12% below VT	$4,146Lowest 18% below VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	43.9%±16.8Highest VT: 48.4%	36.4%±100Lowest VT: 48.4%
	Bellows Falls and Ira 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%	14.4%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	50.7%Lowest VT: 73.2%	90.7%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT	1975Highest 1 yr older than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 14% below VT	28 minHighest 20% above VT
Work from home	6.9%±5.3Highest VT: 16.9%	2.3%±2.2Lowest VT: 16.9%
	Bellows Falls and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.