Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Westminster vs Walpole vs Rockingham
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 renters (49.3% rent).
Westminster has the most people working from home (27%).
Walpole has grown the fastest since 2010 (-2.7%).
Rockingham has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Westminster | Walpole | Rockingham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
2,999 |
3,690 |
4,807Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-8.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7Lowest 6% above U.S. |
53.5±3.7Highest 38% above U.S. |
46.5±10.4 20% above U.S. |
46.4±2.6 19% 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% |
18.2%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.2%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±4.3 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%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.6%±6.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±5.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.8%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Rockingham and Westminster 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% |
46.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
32.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
37.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±3.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bellows Falls and Rockingham 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. |
$71,491±$4k 11% below U.S. |
$82,617±$16kHighest about the U.S. average |
$70,857±$16k 12% below U.S. |
| Walpole and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 41% below U.S. |
$273,800±$35k 18% below U.S. |
$319,800±$48kHighest 4% below U.S. |
$210,900±$14k 37% below U.S. |
| Walpole and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109 27% below U.S. |
$916±$126Lowest 35% below U.S. |
$1,165±$150Highest 18% below U.S. |
$1,062±$101 25% below U.S. |
| Walpole and Rockingham 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. |
$4,063Lowest 30% above U.S. |
$6,078Highest 95% above U.S. |
$4,887 57% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
49.2%±7.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
51.6%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.7%±13.7 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% |
8.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
16.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
61.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 24% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 10% below U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
27%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.9%±7.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Westminster and Rockingham 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 | — | #53 of 70 in VT | #27 of 120 in NH | #65 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District | Fall Mountain Regional School District | Rockingham School District |
| High school in town | — | Bellows Falls Union High School | None in town | None in town |
| 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.