Compare towns
Brookline vs Rochester vs Westminster vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookline has the most kids (20% under 18).
Rochester has the most people working from home (40.8%).
Westminster has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Windham has the most expensive homes ($354k median).
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 | Brookline | Rochester | Westminster | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 531Lowest |
1,389 |
2,999Highest |
594 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-3.5% VT: +2.8% |
-5.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 45.1±2.7 5% above VT |
53.3±7.6 24% above VT |
53.5±3.7Highest 24% above VT |
44.2±7.4Lowest about the VT average |
| Westminster and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
10.4%±3.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
18.2%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
17.5%±7.9 VT: 17.9% |
| Brookline and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.6%±4.2Lowest VT: 21.4% |
31.5%±3.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
27.6%±6.8 VT: 21.4% |
23.2%±8.1 VT: 21.4% |
| Rochester and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
49%Highest VT: 43.8% |
46.3% VT: 43.8% |
48.1% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±1.6 VT: 7% |
0.4%±0.6Lowest VT: 7% |
4.4%±3.1Highest VT: 7% |
0.8%±1.1 VT: 7% |
| Westminster and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $80,833±$16k about the VT average |
$72,676±$8k 11% below VT |
$71,491±$4kLowest 12% below VT |
$94,500±$12kHighest 16% above VT |
| Windham and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $290,700±$37k 8% below VT |
$253,600±$81kLowest 20% below VT |
$273,800±$35k 14% below VT |
$353,900±$20kHighest 12% above VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,732±$232Highest 40% above VT |
$929±$158 25% below VT |
$916±$126Lowest 26% below VT |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,000 about the VT average |
$3,977Lowest 21% below VT |
$4,063 19% below VT |
$5,951Highest 18% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.8%±94.7 VT: 48.4% |
62.4%±27.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
49.2%±7.5 VT: 48.4% |
41.2%±94Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Rochester and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
18.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
8.8% VT: 10.1% |
9.9% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.9% VT: 73.2% |
86.1% VT: 73.2% |
88.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
82.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 1 yr older than VT |
1967Lowest 9 yrs older than VT |
1980 4 yrs newer than VT |
1982Highest 6 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 21% above VT |
27 min 17% above VT |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
27 min 14% above VT |
| Work from home | 20.6%±5.2 VT: 16.9% |
40.8%±27.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
27%±6.6 VT: 16.9% |
20.5%±5.6Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Rochester and Westminster 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 | — | — | #53 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Rochester Stockbridge Unified School District #81 | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Bellows Falls Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.6 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.