Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Westminster vs Williston
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 renters (49.3% rent).
Westminster has the most people working from home (27%).
Williston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.2%).
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 | Williston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
2,999 |
10,144Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-5.1% VT: +2.8% |
+16.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7Lowest 4% below VT |
53.5±3.7Highest 24% above VT |
45.4±4.5 5% above VT |
| Westminster and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
18.2%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
20.5%±5.2 VT: 17.9% |
| Bellows Falls and Williston 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% |
27.6%±6.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
21%±3.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Westminster 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% |
46.3% VT: 43.8% |
54.9%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3Highest VT: 7% |
4.4%±3.1Lowest VT: 7% |
5.7%±2.7 VT: 7% |
| Bellows Falls and Williston 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 |
$71,491±$4k 12% below VT |
$106,967±$12kHighest 32% above VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 38% below VT |
$273,800±$35k 14% below VT |
$475,800±$40kHighest 50% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109 16% below VT |
$916±$126Lowest 26% below VT |
$1,832±$130Highest 48% above VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448 12% below VT |
$4,063Lowest 19% below VT |
$5,592Highest 11% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
49.2%±7.5Highest VT: 48.4% |
46.9%±17.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Westminster and Williston 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% |
8.8% VT: 10.1% |
4.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
88.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
75.1% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1980 4 yrs newer than VT |
1993Highest 17 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 14% below VT |
24 minHighest about the VT average |
20 minLowest 16% below VT |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
27%±6.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
22.3%±7.6 VT: 16.9% |
| Westminster and Williston 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 | #11 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 |
| High school in town | — | Bellows Falls Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.6 |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.