Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Plainfield vs St. Albans vs White River Junction
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).
Plainfield has the most homeowners (87.3%).
White River Junction has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.8%).
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 | Plainfield | St. Albans | White River Junction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,891 |
2,522Lowest |
6,954Highest |
3,364 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4% U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7Highest 6% above U.S. |
38.9±6.5 about the U.S. average |
38.7±2 about the U.S. average |
33.7±3.2Lowest 13% below U.S. |
| Bellows Falls and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.4 U.S.: 22% |
23.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.7 U.S.: 22% |
17.1%±5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Plainfield and Bellows Falls 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% |
19.8%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
13.9%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
12.5%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bellows Falls and Plainfield 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% |
46.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
31.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
38.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.2%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bellows Falls and Plainfield 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. |
$122,656±$13kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$57,980±$7k 28% below U.S. |
$77,168±$4k 4% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 41% below U.S. |
$442,400±$47kHighest 33% above U.S. |
$263,400±$18k 21% below U.S. |
$278,800±$78k 16% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109Lowest 27% below U.S. |
$1,674±$181Highest 18% above U.S. |
$1,150±$78 19% below U.S. |
$1,222±$216 14% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448 43% above U.S. |
$7,904Highest 153% above U.S. |
$4,436Lowest 42% above U.S. |
$5,651 81% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
31.8%±23.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.8%±11.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
42.9%±17.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| St. Albans and Bellows Falls 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% |
5.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
19.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
12.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
87.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
49% U.S.: 65.2% |
43.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1945 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1963 17 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 24% below U.S. |
22 min 17% below U.S. |
23 minHighest 14% below U.S. |
15 minLowest 42% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.1%±8.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.1%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
15.7%±5.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Plainfield and White River Junction 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 | — | #19 of 120 in NH | #46 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Plainfield School District | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.4 |
— |
| 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.