Compare towns
Braintree vs Bridgewater vs Fairlee
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Braintree has the most people working from home (19%).
Bridgewater has the most homeowners (85.4%).
Fairlee has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.1%).
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 | Braintree | Bridgewater | Fairlee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,026 |
980Lowest |
1,066Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1% VT: +2.8% |
-3.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+1.1%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 58.4±2.4Highest 35% above VT |
57.1±8 32% above VT |
56.2±8.7Lowest 30% above VT |
| Braintree and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.3%±3.2 VT: 17.9% |
12.8%±5.8Highest VT: 17.9% |
12.2%±4.2Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Bridgewater and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 33.2%±3.4 VT: 21.4% |
30.2%±0.7Lowest VT: 21.4% |
33.4%±5.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Fairlee and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.9%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
40.3% VT: 43.8% |
46.5%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.8%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
5.8%±3.8Highest VT: 7% |
5.3%±3.7 VT: 7% |
| Bridgewater and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $79,803±$5kHighest about the VT average |
$70,272±$3kLowest 13% below VT |
$74,760±$10k 8% below VT |
| Braintree and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $217,700±$28kLowest 31% below VT |
$218,300±$55k 31% below VT |
$274,200±$39kHighest 13% below VT |
| Fairlee and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $840±$405Lowest 32% below VT |
$850±$778 31% below VT |
$1,083±$242Highest 12% below VT |
| Fairlee and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,908 22% below VT |
$3,418Lowest 32% below VT |
$5,617Highest 11% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.4%±29.4Lowest VT: 48.4% |
59.7%±39.1 VT: 48.4% |
89.2%±71.3Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Fairlee and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
14.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
14.7% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81% VT: 73.2% |
85.4%Highest VT: 73.2% |
80.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 3 yrs newer than VT |
1976 same as VT |
1972Lowest 4 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest 11% above VT |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
24 min 3% above VT |
| Work from home | 19%±7.2Highest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±6.6Lowest VT: 16.9% |
15%±7.9 VT: 16.9% |
| Braintree and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | — | Rivendell Interstate School District |
| High school in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| 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.