Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Townshend’s best subject grades are an A for health and history; its weakest is a C− for cost of living. Townshend’s median age is 55.6 years, above both the Vermont town median (43.7 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 17 of Vermont’s 172 towns score lower on hazard risk. Townshend is more walkable than 72% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Scott Covered Bridge and Follett Stone Arch Bridge Historic District. Townshend has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Townshend beats most towns.
Scott Covered Bridge
Census counts: 676 in 1790, a low of 584 in 1950, 1,291 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1927 and 4 maps from 1930 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Vermont), ordered by how far Townshend is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Townshend, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Townshend.
Townshend beats the Vermont average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 27% of Townshend adults sleep under 7 hours, below both Vermont’s towns (30%) and U.S. towns (36%). 25% of adults have obesity in Townshend.
| Townshend | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 30% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 16% |
| What stands out | Townshend | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.1% | 9.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.9% | 76.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the West River Valley Union Education District #72B. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Townshend Village SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 112 | A− |
| Leland & Gray Union Middle & High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 243 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VT on state tests and graduation
Adults 35 to 64 are 51% of residents (39% statewide); children under 18 are 12% of residents (18% statewide). 52% of Townshend adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Only 3 of the 72 Vermont towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Townshend.
| Townshend | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 12% | 19% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 52% | 40% | 29% |
44% women, 56% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.9 points. Across Vermont, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Townshend | VT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 9.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.2% | 8.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.4% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.2% | 11.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.3% | 12.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.5% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 31.4% | 14.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12% | 13% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.3% | 8.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.2% | 5.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.7% | 15.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6% | 8.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 31.7% | 25.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 20.4% | 18.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
The typical Townshend home is worth about $301,000, down 2.5% in a year, 23% below the Vermont typical home.
| Townshend | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,074 a month | $1,135 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Townshend has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Townshend’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
26 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Townshend State Forest, at 1,250 acres with 3.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Townshend State Forest | 3.2 mi | 1,250 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Townshend for work: only 11% work in town. Since 2013, Townshend has added 107 jobs, to 604 in 2023. The top destinations are Brattleboro (14%), Rockingham (5%) and Springfield (5%).
| Townshend | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 16% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Townshend.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Townshend. Close and well known come first.
32 mi MountainMount Monadnock
39 mi MountainMount Greylock
14 mi Ski areaMount Snow119 runs · 1,648 ft vertical
12 mi Ski areaStratton Mountain Resort106 runs · 1,899 ft vertical
37 mi MuseumClark Art Institute
38 mi Ski areaKillington Resort184 runs · 3,031 ft verticalMount Monadnock: Jonwmcinenrey, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Mount Snow: William J Sisti from Morristown, NJ, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Stratton Mountain Resort: Rudi Riet from Washington, DC, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Clark Art Institute: Daderot, Public domain · Killington Resort: NHRHS2010, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Townshend
About 1 of every 100 Townshend residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
8 places in Townshend on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Townshend.
Town in Vermont, United States
Townshend is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for the Townshend family, powerful figures in British politics. The population was 1,291 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($72,217 across the Brattleboro, VT area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
7 notable people were born here, including Alphonso Taft and Clarina I. H. Nichols.
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