Population 535 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Fairlee
Household size in West Fairlee
| Period | West Fairlee | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.35 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.28 | 2.36 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.27 | 2.33 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.15 | 2.31 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.47 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
West Fairlee is a place of small households, averaging 2.15 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.62 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in West Fairlee
| Period | West Fairlee | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8 | 40.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.5 | 42.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.8 | 43.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.5 | 44.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.7 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 48.5, West Fairlee is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in West Fairlee
| Period | West Fairlee | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 10.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 9.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 8.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 8.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.1% of households in West Fairlee, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in West Fairlee
Renters in West Fairlee
| Period | West Fairlee | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 28.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.3% | 29.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 29.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −1.8 pts | +1.5 pts |
West Fairlee is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 10.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than four in ten owners (45.7%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in West Fairlee
| Period | West Fairlee | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.2% | 15.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 15.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.0% | 17.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 15.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | +0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.1% of the housing in West Fairlee, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Even so, the rate is lower than in Vermont as a whole (15.7%).
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in West Fairlee
| Period | West Fairlee | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1967 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1969 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1973 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in West Fairlee was built around 1980, the same vintage as the country's housing overall. Homes here are newer than in Vermont overall, where the median home dates to 1973.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in West Fairlee
| Period | West Fairlee | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $908 | $878 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,125 | $947 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $882 | $1,043 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,125 | $1,306 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$217 | +$428 | +$606 |
Rent in West Fairlee runs $1,125 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 33.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in West Fairlee
Bachelor's degrees in West Fairlee
| Period | West Fairlee | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.6% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.6% | 36.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.9% | 38.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.4% | 44.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +21.8 pts | +9.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in West Fairlee than nationally: 44.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The picture is much the same across Vermont.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in West Fairlee
| Period | West Fairlee | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.9% | 90.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.3% | 91.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.1% | 92.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.7% | 94.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in West Fairlee: 95.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Vermont.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in West Fairlee
| Period | West Fairlee | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.4% | 5.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 6.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 3.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in West Fairlee has been strong: just 3.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Vermont as a whole looks much the same. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
West Fairlee compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Fairlee | 2.15 | 48.5 | 7.1% | 10.3% | 14.1% | 1980 | $1,125 | 44.4% | 95.7% | 3.2% |
| Post Mills | 1.99 | 47.4 | 4.5% | 9.5% | 5.6% | 1980 | $1,156 | 65.4% | 96.9% | 1.3% |
| Fairlee | 2.09 | 53.0 | 9.2% | 16.9% | 19.1% | 1974 | $1,108 | 48.9% | 93.4% | 1.0% |
| Vershire | 2.19 | 45.8 | 12.3% | 18.4% | 15.8% | 1985 | $1,118 | 32.1% | 95.2% | 8.8% |
| Strafford | 2.37 | 51.4 | 9.5% | 11.1% | 13.9% | 1980 | $1,125 | 53.3% | 98.2% | 3.3% |
| Thetford Center | 2.06 | 43.3 | 4.4% | 12.8% | 7.0% | 1981 | $1,198 | 67.1% | 97.9% | 1.4% |
| East Thetford | 2.26 | 42.0 | 4.0% | 31.0% | 16.5% | 1976 | $1,101 | 71.7% | 96.2% | 6.5% |
| Corinth | 2.41 | 48.5 | 10.2% | 11.2% | 25.9% | 1976 | $1,264 | 29.3% | 93.2% | 1.0% |
| Orfordville | 2.34 | 47.9 | 5.7% | 22.1% | 16.1% | 1974 | $1,347 | 51.0% | 97.9% | 4.9% |
| South Strafford | 2.38 | 51.1 | 9.3% | 11.5% | 13.9% | 1980 | $1,141 | 52.4% | 97.8% | 3.3% |
| Bradford | 2.64 | 44.0 | 13.9% | 12.8% | 15.3% | 1970 | $1,140 | 36.6% | 96.9% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Helena, MO · Silverville, PA · Silver Lake, TN · Silvara, PA · Sigurd, UT · Sidney, TX · Short Tract, NY · Highland Lake, AL · High Bridge, WI · Henry, SD
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up West Fairlee. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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