Compare towns
Westminster vs Ripton vs Chester vs Walpole
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Westminster has the most people working from home (23.1%).
Ripton has the highest household income ($113k).
Chester has the most affordable homes ($233k median).
Walpole has the most renters (30.1% rent).
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 | Westminster | Ripton | Chester | Walpole |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 497Lowest |
508 |
2,992 |
3,690Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +25.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-4.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.3±11.5Lowest 11% above U.S. |
47.7±14.2 23% above U.S. |
49.7±4.7Highest 28% above U.S. |
46.5±10.4 20% above U.S. |
| Chester and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 28.4%±7.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.8%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.1%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
22.2%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Westminster and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±11.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
30.5%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.8%±7.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±5.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ripton and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
48%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
33.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
32.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.2%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
20.1%±6.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±4 U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $81,000±$22k about the U.S. average |
$112,917±$15kHighest 40% above U.S. |
$62,125±$8kLowest 23% below U.S. |
$82,617±$16k about the U.S. average |
| Ripton and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $313,600±$39k 6% below U.S. |
$394,400±$61kHighest 19% above U.S. |
$232,900±$44kLowest 30% below U.S. |
$319,800±$48k 4% below U.S. |
| Ripton and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $749±$315Lowest 47% below U.S. |
— | $960±$44 32% below U.S. |
$1,165±$150Highest 18% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,480 44% above U.S. |
$4,915 58% above U.S. |
$4,262Lowest 37% above U.S. |
$6,078Highest 95% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 6.1%±43.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
11.5%±12.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
51.6%±21.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ripton and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
7% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
90.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1973Highest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 13% above U.S. |
24 min 9% below U.S. |
28 min 5% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 23.1%±15.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.2%±8.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
14%±6.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Westminster and Ripton 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 | #53 of 70 in VT | — | #49 of 70 in VT | #27 of 120 in NH |
| School district | — | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Green Mountain Unified School District #77 | Fall Mountain Regional School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Green Mountain Union High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 8.7 |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → | 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.