Compare towns
Bethel vs Westminster vs Barnet
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bethel has the highest household income ($76k).
Westminster has the most people working from home (27%).
Barnet has grown the fastest since 2010 (-2.6%).
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 | Bethel | Westminster | Barnet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,736Lowest |
2,999Highest |
1,855 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.3% VT: +2.8% |
-5.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-2.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 50.7±3.7 18% above VT |
53.5±3.7Highest 24% above VT |
47.7±5.3Lowest 11% above VT |
| Westminster and Bethel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.4%±3.1Lowest VT: 17.9% |
18.2%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
21.6%±4.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Barnet and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.5%±3.7Lowest VT: 21.4% |
27.6%±6.8 VT: 21.4% |
28.8%±3.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Barnet and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.7% VT: 43.8% |
46.3%Highest VT: 43.8% |
35.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.6 VT: 7% |
4.4%±3.1Highest VT: 7% |
1%±0.9Lowest VT: 7% |
| Westminster and Bethel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $75,822±$7kHighest 7% below VT |
$71,491±$4k 12% below VT |
$67,386±$15kLowest 17% below VT |
| Bethel and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $238,000±$41kLowest 25% below VT |
$273,800±$35kHighest 14% below VT |
$247,900±$24k 22% below VT |
| Westminster and Barnet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,335±$220Highest 8% above VT |
$916±$126Lowest 26% below VT |
$974±$72 21% below VT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,168Highest about the VT average |
$4,063Lowest 19% below VT |
$4,489 11% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54%±22 VT: 48.4% |
49.2%±7.5Lowest VT: 48.4% |
59.3%±29.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Barnet and Bethel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
8.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
8.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.6% VT: 73.2% |
88.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
79.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 10 yrs older than VT |
1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT |
1974 2 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 19% above VT |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
28 min 17% above VT |
| Work from home | 7.1%±3.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
27%±6.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
13.3%±4.5 VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #53 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | White River Unified School District #79 | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 |
| High school in town | None in town | Bellows Falls Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.6 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.