Compare towns
Brighton vs Gray vs Windsor vs Bellows Falls
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brighton has the most affordable homes ($164k median).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Bellows Falls has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Brighton | Gray | Windsor | Bellows Falls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,167Lowest |
8,429Highest |
2,060 |
2,891 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
-12.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.2±11.6Highest 16% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
44.6±12.3 15% above U.S. |
41.3±6.7Lowest 6% above U.S. |
| Brighton and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.3%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±8.8 U.S.: 22% |
22.6%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Bellows Falls and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.2%±4.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.2%±8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.7%±5.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Windsor and Brighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
40% U.S.: 35.7% |
27.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.6%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
8.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bellows Falls and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $47,375±$21kLowest 41% below U.S. |
$95,236±$8kHighest 18% above U.S. |
$51,197±$4k 37% below U.S. |
$56,086±$2k 31% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $163,900±$39kLowest 51% below U.S. |
$363,700±$20kHighest 9% above U.S. |
$170,300±$22k 49% below U.S. |
$195,600±$35k 41% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $775±$33Lowest 45% below U.S. |
$1,371±$89Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,002±$107 29% below U.S. |
$1,038±$109 27% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,360Lowest 8% above U.S. |
$3,683 18% above U.S. |
$4,878Highest 56% above U.S. |
$4,448 43% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55%±17 U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.4%±20Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.9%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Brighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 22% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
25.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 51.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
51.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
50.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 25% above U.S. |
29 min 8% above U.S. |
22 min 16% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.4%±8.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.6%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.9%±5.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brighton and Gray 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | #61 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Brighton School District | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.