Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Swanton vs Windsor vs St. Albans
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bellows Falls has the most affordable homes ($196k median).
Swanton has the highest household income ($67k).
Windsor has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.2%).
St. Albans has the most people working from home (12.1%).
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 | Swanton | Windsor | St. Albans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,891 |
2,670Lowest |
3,554 |
6,954Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-2.4% VT: +2.8% |
+0.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7 4% below VT |
37.8±4.7Lowest 12% below VT |
44.8±6.5Highest 4% above VT |
38.7±2 10% below VT |
| Windsor and Bellows Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.4 VT: 17.9% |
24.3%±8.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
19.5%±5.2Lowest VT: 17.9% |
20.5%±3.7 VT: 17.9% |
| Swanton and Bellows Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.7%±5.7 VT: 21.4% |
19.3%±2.7 VT: 21.4% |
29.7%±6.9Highest VT: 21.4% |
13.9%±2.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Windsor 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% VT: 43.8% |
20.2%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
39.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
31.7% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3Highest VT: 7% |
2.2%±1.7 VT: 7% |
0.7%±0.8Lowest VT: 7% |
2.7%±1.6 VT: 7% |
| Bellows Falls and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $56,086±$2k 31% below VT |
$66,607±$27kHighest 18% below VT |
$52,484±$11kLowest 35% below VT |
$57,980±$7k 29% below VT |
| Swanton and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 38% below VT |
$229,000±$15k 28% below VT |
$207,500±$31k 34% below VT |
$263,400±$18kHighest 17% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109 16% below VT |
$1,238±$103Highest about the VT average |
$1,026±$89Lowest 17% below VT |
$1,150±$78 7% below VT |
| Swanton and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448 12% below VT |
$4,370Lowest 13% below VT |
$5,209Highest 3% above VT |
$4,436 12% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8 VT: 48.4% |
36.1%±21.6 VT: 48.4% |
31.5%±17Lowest VT: 48.4% |
51.8%±11.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
| 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 VT: 10.1% |
20.1% VT: 10.1% |
7.8%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
19.5% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7% VT: 73.2% |
64.8%Highest VT: 73.2% |
57.8% VT: 73.2% |
49%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1952Highest 24 yrs older than VT |
1945 31 yrs older than VT |
1945 31 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 14% below VT |
21 min 9% below VT |
23 minHighest 3% below VT |
23 min 4% below VT |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
7.4%±4.8 VT: 16.9% |
10.3%±5 VT: 16.9% |
12.1%±3.5Highest VT: 16.9% |
| St. Albans and Windsor 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 | — | — | #61 of 70 in VT | #46 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | — | — | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 |
| High school 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 |
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.