Compare towns
Bow vs Brattleboro vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bow has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Brattleboro has the most affordable homes ($257k median).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.4%).
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 | Bow | Brattleboro | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,335Lowest |
12,122 |
16,038Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.5±2 7% above U.S. |
45.6±4.5Highest 17% above U.S. |
41.1±2.9Lowest 6% above U.S. |
| Brattleboro and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6 U.S.: 22% |
19%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
27.4%±3.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Windham and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.5%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
62.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bow and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $172,857±$16k 114% above U.S. |
$58,241±$8kLowest 28% below U.S. |
$189,583±$19kHighest 135% above U.S. |
| Windham and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34k 52% above U.S. |
$257,300±$18kLowest 23% below U.S. |
$723,300±$50kHighest 117% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178 9% above U.S. |
$1,074±$58Lowest 24% below U.S. |
$3,218±$350Highest 128% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584 207% above U.S. |
$5,700Lowest 83% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±9.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.2%±50.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Windham and Brattleboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
17.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
58.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1996Highest 16 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
19 minLowest 28% below U.S. |
31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.9%±4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.9%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bow and Windham 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 | #26 of 120 in NH | #33 of 70 in VT | #13 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Windham School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | Brattleboro Union High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
9.0Lowest |
12.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.