Compare towns
Westminster vs Bellows Falls vs St. Albans
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Westminster has the most people working from home (27%).
Bellows Falls has the most affordable homes ($196k median).
St. Albans has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.6%).
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 | Bellows Falls | St. Albans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,999 |
2,891Lowest |
6,954Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.1% VT: +2.8% |
-12.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 53.5±3.7Highest 24% above VT |
41.3±6.7 4% below VT |
38.7±2Lowest 10% below VT |
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
22.6%±6.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
20.5%±3.7 VT: 17.9% |
| Bellows Falls and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.6%±6.8Highest VT: 21.4% |
23.7%±5.7 VT: 21.4% |
13.9%±2.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Westminster and Bellows Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.3%Highest VT: 43.8% |
27.5%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
31.7% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±3.1 VT: 7% |
8.2%±4.3Highest VT: 7% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest VT: 7% |
| Bellows Falls and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,491±$4kHighest 12% below VT |
$56,086±$2kLowest 31% below VT |
$57,980±$7k 29% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $273,800±$35kHighest 14% below VT |
$195,600±$35kLowest 38% below VT |
$263,400±$18k 17% below VT |
| Westminster and St. Albans are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $916±$126Lowest 26% below VT |
$1,038±$109 16% below VT |
$1,150±$78Highest 7% below VT |
| St. Albans and Bellows Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,063Lowest 19% below VT |
$4,448Highest 12% below VT |
$4,436 12% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.2%±7.5 VT: 48.4% |
43.9%±16.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
51.8%±11.8Highest VT: 48.4% |
| St. Albans and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.8%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
25.1%Highest VT: 10.1% |
19.5% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.2%Highest VT: 73.2% |
50.7% VT: 73.2% |
49%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
1945 31 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest about the VT average |
20 minLowest 14% below VT |
23 min 4% below VT |
| Work from home | 27%±6.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
6.9%±5.3Lowest VT: 16.9% |
12.1%±3.5 VT: 16.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #53 of 70 in VT | — | #46 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District | — | Maple Run Unified Union School District #57 |
| High school in town | Bellows Falls Union High School | — | Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.6Lowest |
— | 11.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.