Compare towns
Roxbury vs Williston vs Nelson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Roxbury has the most homeowners (95.5%).
Williston has the most expensive homes ($476k median).
Nelson has the most people working from home (31.5%).
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 | Roxbury | Williston | Nelson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 299Lowest |
10,144Highest |
648 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +16.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-13.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.2±17.7 11% above U.S. |
45.4±4.5Highest 17% above U.S. |
42.3±11.7Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Williston and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±11.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
27.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Nelson and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±10.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.8%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Nelson and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
61.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.4%±15.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±2.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Roxbury and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,226±$14kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$106,967±$12kHighest 32% above U.S. |
$99,792±$23k 24% above U.S. |
| Williston and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $323,100±$219kLowest about the U.S. average |
$475,800±$40kHighest 43% above U.S. |
$340,900±$49k about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,832±$130Highest 30% above U.S. |
$1,203±$243Lowest 15% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,787Highest 86% above U.S. |
$5,592 79% above U.S. |
$5,575Lowest 79% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±17.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40%±68.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Williston and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 21% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 0.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.3%±7.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
31.5%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Nelson 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 | — | #11 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | — | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 | Nelson School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.