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Orleans
Vermont

27K

Population

$64K

Median Income

$292K

Median Home

R+44

Politics

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What stands out

What stands out about Orleans County: the average temperature is in the bottom 3% of American counties (42°F), the property tax rate is in the top 7% of American counties (1.76%), and the uninsured rate is in the bottom 11% of American counties (6.1%). Within Vermont it ranks 2nd of 14 counties for the average temperature, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Orleans County, Vermont. 27,459 people live here with you. The population held steady at 0.2% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +187).

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 $63,981 a year, higher than 60% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $51,363. Unemployment runs 4.4%, higher than 79% of American counties. 9% of workers work from home.

Vermont takes 4.1% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,617 a year.

Home

The median home costs $298K, pricier than 69% of American counties, about 2.5 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $926 a month. Property tax is 1.76% of home value, roughly $3,459 a year on that median home, higher than 93% of American counties. 80% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.5 per 1,000 residents, lower than 72% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 26 people per 100,000 in 2024, one of the harder-hit counties in the country.

A child born here can expect to live 77.2 years, longer than 66% of American counties. There are 50 active physicians in the county, about 18.2 per 10,000 people. Medicare rates the local hospitals 1.0 of 5 stars. 6.1% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

92% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 44 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 73% 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 42°F, highs near 52 and lows near 32, colder than 97% of American counties. About 42 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 27 out of 100, safer than 73% of American counties; the county has had 33 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 152 Mbps down, slower than 70% of American counties. There are 2 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.7 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.

Written from the figures below. Percentiles compare this county with every other county that reports the same figure; missing figures are left out rather than guessed.

Economy

Median Household Income$64K
This county
national avg ~$75K
Poverty Rate13.8%
This county
national avg ~11.5%
Unemployment Rate4.4%
This county
national avg ~3.8%
GDP per Capita$52,918
Federal Spending per Capita$821
Median Individual Earnings$39K
This county
national avg $45K
Professional/Management Workers37.8%
Average Adjusted Gross Income$59K
Avg Credit Score696
Work From Home %9.2%
This county
national avg 17.0%
Population Under 1819.4%
This county
national avg 22.0%
Single-Person Households29.4%
This county
national avg 28.0%
Banks & Finance Firms13
Income (20th Percentile)$29K
Income (80th Percentile)$118K
Income (95th Percentile)$195K
Bachelor's Degree or Higher27.7%
This county
national avg 34.3%
Less Than High School8.5%
This county
national avg 11.0%
Knowledge Economy GDP %5.5%
Dependency Ratio0.74
Medicare Spending / Person$3,611
SS Benefits / Person$4,938
Education Wage Premium1.56x
Median Earnings (Bachelor's)$47K
Median Earnings (Graduate)$58K
Median Earnings (HS Diploma)$37K
Public Assistance Recipients5.3%
Average Annual Wage$51K
Professional Services Concentration0.28x national
This county
1.0 = national average share
Federal Government Jobs Located Here244
Federal Share of Jobs Located Here2.4%
Residents Who Work for the Federal Government3.7%
Federal Civilian Share of Earnings4.5%
Federal Contract Dollars Performed Here (FY2025)$9M
Contract Dollars Relative to Local Wages0.02x wages
Largest Award's Share of Contract Dollars40%

Housing

Sources: Zillow ZHVI · Census ACS 2022 · Tax Foundation 2023 (effective rates)

Median Home Value$292K
This county
$380K state avg
$303K national
Median Sale Price$287K
This county
$303K national
Market Rent (ZORI)$1400/mo
This county
$1600/mo state avg
$1400/mo national
Property Tax Rate1.76%
This county
1.73% state avg
1.10% national

Annual tax on median home: $3,459

Affordability & Supply

HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR)$1,184/mo
Home Price Change (1 yr)-2.6%−+11.4% since 2024
Home Value to Income Ratio2.5x income
Severely Cost-Burdened Households14.1%
Homeownership Rate80.0%
This county
national avg ~65%

Market Activity

Sources: Zillow Research monthly · Redfin

Listings with Price Cuts— Low — market moving fast
12.5%
Active Listings
112
New Listings / Month
27

Source: Zillow Research · Updated monthly

Days on Market (Redfin)— Slow — buyers have leverage
60 days
Months of Supply (Redfin)— Balanced market
5.0 mo
Sold Above List (Redfin)
19.4%
Sale-to-List Ratio (Redfin)— Buyers market — homes selling below list
96.8%

Source: Redfin · Updated monthly

Health

Life Expectancy77.2 yrs
This county
national avg ~78.5 years
Hospital Rating1.0 / 5
This county
national avg 3.0 stars
Food Insecurity9.7%
This county
national avg ~11%
Food Environment Index8.4 / 10
This county
higher = better access
Primary Care Shortage Score0
This county
national avg 5
Mental Health Shortage Score0
Dental Care Shortage Score0
Healthcare Shortage Score0.0
Healthcare Offices43
Obesity Rate (BRFSS)33.0%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Smoking Rate (BRFSS)14.3%
This county
national avg 14.0%
Poor Health Rate (BRFSS)16.7%
This county
national avg 18.0%
Physical Inactivity (BRFSS)21.7%
This county
national avg 24.0%
High Blood Pressure (BRFSS)29.4%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Active Physicians50
Nursing Home Rating3.8 / 5
This county
national avg ~3 stars
ER Visits per 1,000 Medicare Patients757 / 1,000
Medicare Cost per Beneficiary$9,946
Uninsured (under 65)6.1%
This county
national avg ~10%
Adults with Depression26.5%

Education

HS Diploma Holders6,601
Bachelor's Degree Holders3,474
HS Completion Rate91.5%
This county
national avg ~85%
Private Schools11

Safety

Violent Crime Rate3.5 / 1,000
This county
national avg ~4.0
Firearm Fatality Rate20.0 / 100K
This county
national avg ~13.6/100K
Drug Overdose Rate27.0 / 100K
This county
national avg ~21/100K
Traffic Fatalities8
Social Vulnerability (CDC SVI)35th pct
Drug Overdose Deaths (2024)25.7 / 100K
Suicide Rate22.9 / 100K
This county
national avg ~14/100K

Climate & Air Quality

Natural Amenity Scale0.1
January Sunshine-0.92
January Temperature-1.58
Average Temp42°F-2.3% since 2022
Avg High Temp52°F-2.6% since 2022
Avg Low Temp32°F-1.6% since 2022
Annual Precipitation41.8 in/yr-17% since 2022
Avg Storm Events5.0 storms/yr
Avg Annual Storm Damage$360K
Drought Index (2022)0.59
Heating Degree Days8,674 HDD/yr
This county
national avg ~4,500 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days200 CDD/yr
This county
national avg ~1,200 CDD/yr
Heating Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)9,292 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)128 CDD/yr
Avg Tornadoes / Year0.2
Avg Flood Events / Year1.6
Avg Hail Events / Year1.2
Avg Hurricane Events / Year0.00
Avg Wildfire Events / Year0.0
Avg Winter Storms / Year0.0
Avg Heat Events / Year0.0
Natural Hazard Risk (FEMA)27 / 100
Community Resilience (FEMA)72 / 100
Federal Disaster Declarations33 since 1953
Fine Particulate Pollution (PM2.5)5.5 µg/m³
This county
EPA standard 9 µg/m³

Outdoor & Recreation

Historic Places (NRHP)27 properties
FAA-Registered Airports3 total
Airports (excl. heliports)2 airports

Internet & Remote Work

Download Speed152 Mbps
This county
national avg ~120 Mbps
Upload Speed26 Mbps
Fixed Internet (Q1 2026)278 Mbps
Mobile Internet (Q1 2026)230 Mbps
Mobile Upload (Q1 2026)29 Mbps
Mobile Latency (Q1 2026)45 ms
Households with 100Mbps+85.9%
This county
national avg 75.0%
Cellular-Only Internet7.0%
This county
national avg 8.0%
Fixed Upload Speed (Q1 2026)92 Mbps

EV Infrastructure

EV Charging Stations11 stations
DC Fast Chargers6 chargers
Level 2 EV Chargers38

Commute & Transit

Remote Workers1,215 workers
Public Transit Commuters29 workers
Walk to Work (workers)530 workers
Extreme Commutes (90+ min)451 workers
Bike Commuters0.3%
Walk to Work4.0%

Families & Childcare

Childcare Cost Burden42.6%
This county
national median ~27% of household income
Childcare Centers15.3 per 10K residents
Childcare Facilities12

Civic & Community

Voter Turnout72.9%
This county
national avg ~55%
Volunteering Rate1.0%
Income Inequality (Gini)4.040
Nonprofit Organizations234
Veterans Share8.1%
This county
national avg 7.0%
Married Adults53.1%
Never-Married Adults26.9%
Divorced Adults12.9%
Religious Organizations18
Asian Population0.6%
Native American Population0.3%
Membership Associations9.8 per 10K residents

Lifestyle & Services

Full-Service Restaurants0.74 per 1K residents
Colleges & Universities1
Nursing & Care Facilities12
Grocery Stores16
Arts & Entertainment Venues8
Hotels & Lodging14
Recreation Businesses10
Professional Services Firms50
Veterinary Practices7
Real Estate Firms16
Debt Burden
Avg Mortgage Balance$80K
Avg Student Loan Balance$8K
Avg Credit Card Balance$4K
Loan Delinquency Rate34.9%
This county
national avg 4.0%

Innovation

Inventor Rate0.22%

Politics

R+44

2024 Presidential · Vermont was D+31 statewide

vs Vermont State

Income tax
8.75%Same (state law)
Property tax
1.76%1.73% state avg
Politics
R+44D+31
COL Index
111state index (no county figure)

Population & Migration

Net Domestic Migration 2023

↑ +187

More people arriving than leaving

IRS Wealth Migration

Wealthier people moving in (IRS: 1.38x avg income)

Economic Mobility

45%

chance a low-income child reaches the middle class

Source: Opportunity Insights

Real Estate

Find Homes in Orleans County

Median home value: $298K

View on Zillow →View on Realtor.com →

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Explore Other Vermont Counties

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Full Vermont profile

Taxes, cost of living, crime, schools, gun laws and more.

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Data: Census ACS, BLS, Zillow, USDA Natural Amenities, OpenElections 2024, CMS, NCES. Vintage 2022–2025. News via Google News.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable