Compare towns
Ira vs Sheldon vs Windsor vs West Haven
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ira has the most homeowners (90.7%).
Sheldon has the most people working from home (13%).
Windsor has the most renters (42.2% rent).
West Haven has the highest household income ($85k).
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 | Ira | Sheldon | Windsor | West Haven |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 381 |
2,267 |
3,554Highest |
234Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -2.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+0.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 54.1±5.5Highest 26% above VT |
40.9±3.5Lowest 5% below VT |
44.8±6.5 4% above VT |
54±10.5 25% above VT |
| Ira and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 10.5%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
23.7%±3.6Highest VT: 17.9% |
19.5%±5.2 VT: 17.9% |
17.5%±13.3 VT: 17.9% |
| Sheldon and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 28.9%±3.3 VT: 21.4% |
12.6%±2.3Lowest VT: 21.4% |
29.7%±6.9 VT: 21.4% |
29.9%±4.7Highest VT: 21.4% |
| West Haven and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.1% VT: 43.8% |
14.7%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
39.7%Highest VT: 43.8% |
30.6% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±3.5Highest VT: 7% |
2%±1.3 VT: 7% |
0.7%±0.8 VT: 7% |
0.4%±4.4Lowest VT: 7% |
| Ira and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $71,827±$5k 12% below VT |
$78,533±$25k 3% below VT |
$52,484±$11kLowest 35% below VT |
$85,250±$29kHighest 5% above VT |
| West Haven and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,900±$18kHighest 14% below VT |
$272,400±$61k 14% below VT |
$207,500±$31kLowest 34% below VT |
$245,000±$34k 23% below VT |
| Ira and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $942±$52Lowest 24% below VT |
$1,286±$379Highest 4% above VT |
$1,026±$89 17% below VT |
— |
| Sheldon and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,146 18% below VT |
$3,578Lowest 29% below VT |
$5,209Highest 3% above VT |
$4,485 11% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36.4%±100Highest VT: 48.4% |
0%±27Lowest VT: 48.4% |
31.5%±17 VT: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Ira and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 14.4%Highest VT: 10.1% |
5.1%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
7.8% VT: 10.1% |
10.3% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
89% VT: 73.2% |
57.8%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
90.3% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 1 yr older than VT |
1984Highest 8 yrs newer than VT |
1945Lowest 31 yrs older than VT |
1978 2 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 20% above VT |
25 min 7% above VT |
23 minLowest 3% below VT |
25 min 8% above VT |
| Work from home | 2.3%±2.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
13%±3.7Highest VT: 16.9% |
10.3%±5 VT: 16.9% |
10.4%±6.5 VT: 16.9% |
| Sheldon and West Haven 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 | — | — | #61 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85 | — | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 12 photos → | 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.