Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Wells’ subject grades is an A for civic life; the weakest is a C− for walkability. Wells’ average trip to work is 48 minutes, where Vermont’s towns sit at 23 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town among the 72 in Vermont we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Wells. Wells Village School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Wells has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Wells beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Vermont), ordered by how far Wells is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 622 in 1790, a low of 419 in 1960, 1,214 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1899 and 2 maps from 1894 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wells, 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 Wells.
Most working residents leave Wells for work: only 2% work in town. 16% of Wells residents live below the poverty line, above both the Vermont town median (9.5%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). The top destinations are Rutland (25%), Poultney (9%) and Rutland (5%).
| Wells | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Wells Spring Unified Union School District #69. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Village SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 80 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VT on state tests and graduation
Wells beats the Vermont average on 4 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 37% of Wells adults have high blood pressure. Among 72 Vermont towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Wells.
| Wells | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 30% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Wells | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.5% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8% | 9.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14% | 10.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Wells has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Wells’ July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
93% of households own their home in Wells. Typical home values rose 5.3% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in Wells is $1,313 a month.
| Wells | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 93% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,313 a month | $1,135 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Wells since 2017.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Wells | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.8% | 14% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wells Lakeside Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wells. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi LandmarkFort Ticonderoga
22 mi LakeLake George
26 mi LandmarkFort William Henry
26 mi Theme parkGreat Escape
23 mi Ski areaKillington Resort184 runs · 3,031 ft vertical
33 mi State parkGrant Cottage State Historic SiteFort Ticonderoga: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake George: Sixlocal, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort William Henry: IrisKawling at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Great Escape: Jared and Corin, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Killington Resort: NHRHS2010, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Grant Cottage State Historic Site: Coingeek at English Wikipedia, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Wells; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Wells residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
Where Wells’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Vermont, United States
Wells is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 1,214.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
2 notable people were born here, including Oliver Cowdery and Anson Rogers Graves.
