Compare towns
Rochester vs Salisbury vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Rochester has the most people working from home (40.8%).
Salisbury has the shortest commute (19 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 | Rochester | Salisbury | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,389Highest |
1,200 |
594Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.5%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+7.5%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 53.3±7.6Highest 24% above VT |
50.6±6.5 17% above VT |
44.2±7.4Lowest about the VT average |
| Rochester and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 10.4%±3.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
16.6%±3.2 VT: 17.9% |
17.5%±7.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Windham and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 31.5%±3.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
30.4%±2.9 VT: 21.4% |
23.2%±8.1Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Rochester and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49%Highest VT: 43.8% |
34.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48.1% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.4%±0.6Lowest VT: 7% |
1.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
0.8%±1.1 VT: 7% |
| Salisbury and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,676±$8kLowest 11% below VT |
$99,688±$21kHighest 23% above VT |
$94,500±$12k 16% above VT |
| Salisbury and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $253,600±$81kLowest 20% below VT |
$306,900±$51k 3% below VT |
$353,900±$20kHighest 12% above VT |
| Windham and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $929±$158Lowest 25% below VT |
$1,443±$984Highest 17% above VT |
— |
| Salisbury and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,977Lowest 21% below VT |
$4,842 4% below VT |
$5,951Highest 18% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.4%±27.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
31.9%±22.6Lowest VT: 48.4% |
41.2%±94 VT: 48.4% |
| Rochester and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 18.5%Highest VT: 10.1% |
4.6%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
9.9% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.1% VT: 73.2% |
88.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
82.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 9 yrs older than VT |
1967Lowest 9 yrs older than VT |
1982Highest 6 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 17% above VT |
19 minLowest 20% below VT |
27 min 14% above VT |
| Work from home | 40.8%±27.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
6%±2.2Lowest VT: 16.9% |
20.5%±5.6 VT: 16.9% |
| Rochester and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Rochester Stockbridge Unified School District #81 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.