Compare towns
Cornish vs Shelburne vs Williston vs Windsor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the most homeowners (94.1%).
Shelburne has the most people working from home (31.4%).
Williston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.2%).
Windsor has the most affordable homes ($170k 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 | Cornish | Shelburne | Williston | Windsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
7,969 |
10,144Highest |
2,060 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
50.9±3.2 31% above U.S. |
45.4±4.5 17% above U.S. |
44.6±12.3Lowest 15% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.2%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±8.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Windsor and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.2%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
21%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.2%±8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
70.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
40%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.7%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±2.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Williston and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$115,963±$16kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$106,967±$12k 32% above U.S. |
$51,197±$4kLowest 37% below U.S. |
| Shelburne and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69k 11% below U.S. |
$588,100±$44kHighest 77% above U.S. |
$475,800±$40k 43% above U.S. |
$170,300±$22kLowest 49% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227 14% below U.S. |
$1,442±$589 about the U.S. average |
$1,832±$130Highest 30% above U.S. |
$1,002±$107Lowest 29% below U.S. |
| Williston and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796 86% above U.S. |
$8,173Highest 162% above U.S. |
$5,592 79% above U.S. |
$4,878Lowest 56% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
43.7%±10.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±17.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.4%±20Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Williston and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
75.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
51.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1986 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
20 min 23% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
22 min 16% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
31.4%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.3%±7.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.6%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Shelburne and Williston 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 | — | #8 of 70 in VT | #11 of 70 in VT | #61 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Cornish School District | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.