Overview
Chittenden County is home to 168,831 people (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), making it Vermont's most populous county by a wide margin. It accounts for roughly a quarter of the state's total population. Median household income sits at $94,310 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than 94% of U.S. counties and the highest in the state. The median age is 37 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), the youngest in Vermont.
The county's labor market is exceptionally tight. Unemployment stands at 2.0% (BLS LAUS, 2025), lower than 99% of U.S. counties. More than half of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a rate that exceeds 99% of counties nationally. These numbers point to a well-educated, high-earning population concentrated in Vermont's economic center.
Demographics
At 37, Chittenden County's median age falls below 84% of U.S. counties (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). The University of Vermont, headquartered in Burlington, pulls the age distribution younger than the rest of the state.
Education levels are striking. 55.8% of residents 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), a figure that tops 99% of all U.S. counties. Vermont as a whole skews educated, but Chittenden leads the state.
The population is 86.2% white, 3.9% Asian, 2.8% Hispanic, 2.5% Black, and 0.1% Native American (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). The Asian population ranks higher than 92% of U.S. counties, and the Black population is among the highest in Vermont, though still small in absolute terms.
Education
Per-pupil spending reaches $24,833 (Education Data Portal, 2020), well above the national average of roughly $15,000 and higher than 93% of U.S. counties. Total enrollment stands at 21,515 students (Education Data Portal, 2021).
The student-teacher ratio is 12.5:1 (Education Data Portal, 2021), smaller than the national average of 15.5:1. Smaller class sizes are typical in Vermont, but Chittenden's spending levels are high even by state standards.
The graduation rate is 81.3% (Education Data Portal, 2019), below the national average of about 87%. That gap is worth attention in a county where adult education attainment is among the highest in the country. The graduation rate ranks lower than roughly 80% of U.S. counties, a disconnect from the broader education picture.
Economy & Employment
The labor force totals 97,038 people, with 95,053 employed and 1,985 unemployed (BLS LAUS, 2025). A 2.0% unemployment rate is among the lowest in the nation, lower than 99% of U.S. counties.
Median household income of $94,310 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) ranks higher than 94% of counties nationally. Per capita income is $50,552 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), also in the 94th range nationally. Average adjusted gross income per tax return was $97,658 (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021), and average total income per return was $98,942 (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021).
The poverty rate is 9.8% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), lower than about 75% of U.S. counties. In a county with this level of income and education, nearly one in ten residents living below the poverty line reflects the cost pressures that come with being a regional economic hub.
The mean commute time is 17.9 minutes (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), shorter than 84% of U.S. counties. Most workers live close to where they work.
Housing & Cost of Living
Median home value is $404,500 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than 93% of U.S. counties and the highest in Vermont. Median gross rent is $1,590 per month (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above 95% of counties nationally.
The county has 74,025 total housing units with 3,582 vacant, producing a vacancy rate of 4.8% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That vacancy rate is lower than 96% of U.S. counties and the lowest in Vermont. Housing supply is extremely tight.
A household earning the median income of $94,310 would spend roughly 20% of gross income on a $1,590 monthly rent. That's within the standard 30% affordability threshold, but the low vacancy rate limits options. For households earning below the median, the math gets harder quickly.
Health & Wellness
Chittenden County's health metrics stand out nationally. The obesity rate is 23.6% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than 99% of U.S. counties. High blood pressure affects 24.3% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), also lower than nearly all counties nationally. The diabetes rate is 6.2% (CDC PLACES, 2023), again among the lowest in the country.
Only 5.4% of residents lack health insurance (CDC PLACES, 2023), a rate lower than 99% of U.S. counties. 84.8% have had cholesterol screening (CDC PLACES, 2023), and 74.7% report an annual checkup (CDC PLACES, 2023).
Mental health is a different picture. 27.2% of adults report depression (CDC PLACES, 2023), higher than 82% of U.S. counties. 16.1% report frequent poor mental health days (CDC PLACES, 2023), though that figure is actually lower than 90% of counties nationally. The depression rate is the more notable number here, running well above the national norm even as physical health indicators rank among the best.
Poor physical health days are reported by 10.6% of residents (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than 97% of U.S. counties.
Climate & Natural Disasters
Chittenden County gets 149.3 inches of snow annually (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), more than 99% of U.S. counties. That's not a fluke of geography. Burlington sits in the Champlain Valley where lake-effect snow and nor'easters stack up reliably every winter.
The average temperature is 46.1°F (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), with highs averaging 56.2°F and lows at 36.1°F. Cold, but not extreme by northern New England standards. Annual precipitation reaches 47 inches (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), spread across all seasons.
The disaster record is where things get serious. FEMA has logged 32 federal disaster declarations tied to Vermont since 1973 (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), more than 90% of U.S. counties. Flooding is the dominant pattern: at least nine flood declarations appear in that history, including back-to-back events in the summer of 2023. Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 was the most destructive single event, washing out roads and causing damage across the Winooski River valley. Two more flood declarations followed in July 2023 alone.
Severe storms account for most of the remaining declarations, with events in 2024, 2023, 2020, 2018, and 2015. An ice storm declaration in January 2014 rounds out the picture.
The frequency is picking up. Five declarations came between 2023 and 2024, compared to three in the preceding five years. Whether that reflects wetter storm patterns or improved federal response infrastructure, the practical implication is the same: flood risk here is real and recurring, not theoretical.
Buyers in low-lying areas near the Winooski or Lamoille rivers should check FEMA flood maps before closing.
Financial Profile
Chittenden County filed 87,110 tax returns in 2021 with total adjusted gross income of $8.5 billion and total income of $8.6 billion (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Average AGI per return was $97,658, placing the county higher than 93% of U.S. counties by that measure.
Banking access includes 12 FDIC-insured bank branches holding $793.6 million in total deposits (FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023). The branch count ranks around the 60th range nationally, moderate for a county of this population.
Social Security benefits reach 34,220 OASDI beneficiaries (SSA OASDI, 2024), about 20% of the total population. That share is consistent with the county's younger median age pulling down the ratio of retirees to working-age residents.
Key Comparisons
Chittenden County consistently ranks at or near the top of Vermont and in the upper tier nationally across economic and education metrics. A few patterns stand out.
Income and education are tightly linked here. The county ranks in the 93rd to 94th range nationally for median household income, per capita income, and average AGI, while its bachelor's degree attainment exceeds 99% of U.S. counties. These numbers reinforce each other.
Housing costs match the income level. Home values and rents both rank in the 93rd to 95th range nationally. But the 4.8% vacancy rate, lower than 96% of counties, means the market has very little slack.
Physical health metrics are among the best in the country. Obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure all rank in the bottom 1% nationally. Mental health diverges: the depression rate of 27.2% is higher than 82% of U.S. counties.
The graduation rate of 81.3% is a notable outlier in a county that leads the nation in adult education attainment. Per-pupil spending of $24,833 is nearly double the national average, yet graduation rates lag behind most of the country.
Climate and disaster exposure are real factors. Cold winters, heavy snowfall, and a pattern of flood-related disasters shape both infrastructure costs and daily life.
Data Sources
- Census ACS 5-Year, 2023 (population, income, housing, demographics, commute, poverty, education attainment)
- BLS LAUS, 2025 (unemployment, employment, labor force)
- CDC PLACES, 2023 (health metrics, insurance coverage)
- FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026 (disaster declarations)
- IRS Statistics of Income, 2021 (tax returns, AGI, income)
- FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023 (bank branches, deposits)
- NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025 (temperature, precipitation, snowfall)
- SSA OASDI, 2024 (Social Security beneficiaries)
- Education Data Portal, 2019–2021 (per-pupil spending, enrollment, student-teacher ratio, graduation rate)
- USDA Census of Agriculture: No data available for Chittenden County