Compare towns
Fairfax vs Ripton vs Windham
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 kids (24% under 18).
Ripton has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Windham has the most affordable 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 | Fairfax | Ripton | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,226Highest |
508Lowest |
594 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +17%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 38.8±3.3Lowest 10% below VT |
47.7±14.2Highest 11% above VT |
44.2±7.4 about the VT average |
| Ripton and Windham 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% |
11.8%±6.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
17.5%±7.9 VT: 17.9% |
| Fairfax and Windham 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% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
23.2%±8.1 VT: 21.4% |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest VT: 43.8% |
48%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48.1% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±2.6 VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3Highest VT: 7% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $128,963±$29kHighest 59% above VT |
$112,917±$15k 39% above VT |
$94,500±$12kLowest 16% above VT |
| Fairfax and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $378,200±$22k 19% above VT |
$394,400±$61kHighest 25% above VT |
$353,900±$20kLowest 12% above VT |
| Ripton and Fairfax are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,080±$131 12% below VT |
— | — |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,497 9% above VT |
$4,915Lowest about the VT average |
$5,951Highest 18% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.3%±33.9 VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100Highest VT: 48.4% |
41.2%±94Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Ripton 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% |
8.6% VT: 10.1% |
9.9%Highest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7% VT: 73.2% |
90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
82.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1994Highest 18 yrs newer than VT |
1973Lowest 3 yrs older than VT |
1982 6 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 31% above VT |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
27 min 14% above VT |
| Work from home | 26.7%±7.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
20.5%±5.6 VT: 16.9% |
| Fairfax and Windham 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 | #36 of 70 in VT | — | — |
| School district | Fairfax School District | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | Bellows Free Academy Middle/High School (Fairfax) | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.