Compare towns
Windham vs Westminster vs Brookline vs Ripton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Windham has the most renters (17.1% rent).
Westminster has the most people working from home (27%).
Brookline has the most kids (20% under 18).
Ripton has the highest household income ($113k).
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 | Windham | Westminster | Brookline | Ripton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 594 |
2,999Highest |
531 |
508Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -5.1%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+1.9% VT: +2.8% |
+25.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 44.2±7.4Lowest about the VT average |
53.5±3.7Highest 24% above VT |
45.1±2.7 5% above VT |
47.7±14.2 11% above VT |
| Westminster and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.5%±7.9 VT: 17.9% |
18.2%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
20%±6Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.8%±6.3Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Brookline and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.2%±8.1 VT: 21.4% |
27.6%±6.8 VT: 21.4% |
19.6%±4.2Lowest VT: 21.4% |
30.5%±7.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Ripton and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.1%Highest VT: 43.8% |
46.3% VT: 43.8% |
41.1%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.8%±1.1Lowest VT: 7% |
4.4%±3.1 VT: 7% |
3.2%±1.6 VT: 7% |
20.1%±6.3Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $94,500±$12k 16% above VT |
$71,491±$4kLowest 12% below VT |
$80,833±$16k about the VT average |
$112,917±$15kHighest 39% above VT |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $353,900±$20k 12% above VT |
$273,800±$35kLowest 14% below VT |
$290,700±$37k 8% below VT |
$394,400±$61kHighest 25% above VT |
| Ripton and Windham 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 |
$1,732±$232Highest 40% above VT |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,951Highest 18% above VT |
$4,063Lowest 19% below VT |
$5,000 about the VT average |
$4,915 about the VT average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.2%±94Lowest VT: 48.4% |
49.2%±7.5 VT: 48.4% |
47.8%±94.7 VT: 48.4% |
52.9%±100Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Ripton and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9.9%Highest VT: 10.1% |
8.8% VT: 10.1% |
6.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
8.6% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
88.2% VT: 73.2% |
84.9% VT: 73.2% |
90.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 6 yrs newer than VT |
1980 4 yrs newer than VT |
1975 1 yr older than VT |
1973Lowest 3 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 14% above VT |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
28 minHighest 21% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
| Work from home | 20.5%±5.6 VT: 16.9% |
27%±6.6Highest VT: 16.9% |
20.6%±5.2 VT: 16.9% |
17.2%±8.7Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Westminster and Brookline 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 | — | — |
| School district | — | Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District | — | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | — | Bellows Falls Union High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.6 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.