Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Upton 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).
Upton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).
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 | Upton | Walpole | Westminster |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
8,189Highest |
3,690 |
2,999 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%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. |
46.4±4.8 19% 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%±6.4 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
22.2%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
18.2%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Upton 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 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9Lowest 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% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
32.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±3.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bellows Falls and Westminster 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. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% 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. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% 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. |
$948±$599 33% below U.S. |
$1,165±$150Highest 18% below U.S. |
$916±$126Lowest 35% below U.S. |
| Walpole and Bellows Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448 43% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$6,078 95% above U.S. |
$4,063Lowest 30% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.6%±21.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
49.2%±7.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Upton and Walpole 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% |
3.2%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% |
86.7% 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. |
1981Highest 1 yr 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. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
24 min 10% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
27%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Westminster and Upton 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 | — | #46 of 282 in MA | #27 of 120 in NH | #53 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Fall Mountain Regional School District | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District |
| High school in town | — | Blackstone Valley | None in town | Bellows Falls Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.2Highest |
— | 10.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.