Compare towns
Bow vs Waitsfield vs Shelburne
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 highest household income ($173k).
Waitsfield has the most affordable homes ($422k median).
Shelburne has the most people working from home (31.4%).
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 | Waitsfield | Shelburne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,335Highest |
1,918Lowest |
7,969 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Lowest 7% above U.S. |
44.3±5.3 14% above U.S. |
50.9±3.2Highest 31% above U.S. |
| Shelburne and Waitsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
23.8%±5.1 U.S.: 22% |
20.2%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Bow and Waitsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
28.2%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.2%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Shelburne and Waitsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
63.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
70.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.7%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bow and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$84,375±$34kLowest 5% above U.S. |
$115,963±$16k 44% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34k 52% above U.S. |
$422,400±$92kLowest 27% above U.S. |
$588,100±$44kHighest 77% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S. |
$1,200±$821Lowest 15% below U.S. |
$1,442±$589 about the U.S. average |
| Bow and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$6,208Lowest 99% above U.S. |
$8,173 162% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.4%±30.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.7%±10.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Waitsfield and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1980Lowest same as U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
25 min 5% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±6.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
31.4%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Shelburne and Bow 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 | — | #8 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Bow School District | Harwood Unified Union School District #60 | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 |
| High school in town | Bow High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8 |
— | — |
| 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.