Your life in Essex County, Vermont

What stands out

What stands out about Essex County: the average temperature is in the bottom 2% of American counties (41°F), natural-hazard risk is in the bottom 3% of American counties (3 of 100), and homeownership is in the top 5% of American counties (84%). Within Vermont it ranks 1st of 14 counties for the average temperature, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Essex County, Vermont. 5,976 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population held steady at 0.2% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +46).

Vermont has a graduated income tax reaching 8.75%, taxes Social Security above income thresholds, and has an estate tax with a $5 million exemption. Property taxes fund schools statewide and are among the highest in the nation, with income-based adjustments for residents. The state has the second-smallest population in the country and no city over 45,000 people.

Money

The typical household here brings in $55,247 a year, lower than 66% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $49,646. Unemployment runs 4.0%, higher than 68% of American counties. 7% of workers work from home.

Vermont takes 3.7% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,041 a year.

Home

The median home costs $241K, pricier than 53% of American counties, about 2.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $917 a month. Property tax is 1.82% of home value, roughly $2,747 a year on that median home, higher than 94% of American counties. 84% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.9 per 1,000 residents, higher than 52% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 28 people per 100,000 in 2024, one of the harder-hit counties in the country.

A child born here can expect to live 78.3 years, longer than 78% of American counties. There are 5 active physicians in the county, about 8.4 per 10,000 people. 6.6% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

89% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 49 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 84% of eligible voters turned out. Under Vermont law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is protected by state law, and marijuana is legal for adults.

Weather and risk

The year averages 41°F, highs near 52 and lows near 30, colder than 98% of American counties. About 37 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 3 out of 100, safer than 97% of American counties; the county has had 30 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 111 Mbps down, slower than 84% of American counties. There is 1 airport in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.0 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.

Where these numbers come from

• BLS QCEW 2024
• CDC 2024
• CMS 2024
• Census 2023
• Census ACS
• Census ACS 2022
• Census Population Estimates 2023
• Census SAHIE 2024
• County Health Rankings 2024
• Derived from ACS 2022 home value / household income
• FAA Airport Database
• FEMA Disaster Declarations 1953–2026
• FEMA National Risk Index 2023 (0–100, all hazards)
• HRSA Area Health Resources File 2023
• IMLS
• NOAA Climate Normals
• National Park Service
• Ookla Speedtest Intelligence
• Open Brewery DB
• OpenElections 2024
• SEDA via County Health Rankings 2024 (3.0 = at grade level; not a Z-score)
• Tax Foundation 2023
• USDA Food Environment Atlas
• Zillow ZHVI 2024
• Vermont tax and law data: state revenue department, Tax Foundation, Giffords, Guttmacher (2026)

Percentiles compare this county with every other county that reports the same figure. Missing figures are left out rather than guessed. Share this page: the address is permanent.