Compare towns
Fairfax vs Bellows Falls
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fairfax has the most people working from home (26.7%).
Bellows Falls has the most affordable homes ($196k 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 | Fairfax | Bellows Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 5,226Highest |
2,891Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +17%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-12.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 38.8±3.3Lowest 10% below VT |
41.3±6.7Highest 4% below VT |
| Bellows Falls and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 24%±5.3Highest VT: 17.9% |
22.6%±6.4Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Fairfax and Bellows Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 12.5%±4Lowest VT: 21.4% |
23.7%±5.7Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest VT: 43.8% |
27.5%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±2.6Lowest VT: 7% |
8.2%±4.3Highest VT: 7% |
| Bellows Falls and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $128,963±$29kHighest 59% above VT |
$56,086±$2kLowest 31% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $378,200±$22kHighest 19% above VT |
$195,600±$35kLowest 38% below VT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,080±$131Highest 12% below VT |
$1,038±$109Lowest 16% below VT |
| Fairfax and Bellows Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,497Highest 9% above VT |
$4,448Lowest 12% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.3%±33.9Lowest VT: 48.4% |
43.9%±16.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Bellows Falls and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 5.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
25.1%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
50.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1994Highest 18 yrs newer than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 31% above VT |
20 minLowest 14% below VT |
| Work from home | 26.7%±7.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
6.9%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #36 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Fairfax School District | — |
| High school in town | Bellows Free Academy Middle/High School (Fairfax) | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.