Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Vermont a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Vermont.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Green Mountain State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Vermont, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 14 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Vermont For 2026
Grand Isle County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Vermont. And you should avoid Essex County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Vermont. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Vermont and the cheapest places to live in Vermont.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Vermont For 2026
1. Grand Isle County
Biggest Place: Alburgh
Population: 7,450
Median Income: $97,396 (best)
Median Home Price: $449,029 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (4th best)
More on Grand Isle County: Data
2. Washington County
Biggest Place: Barre
Population: 60,017
Median Income: $83,449 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $390,835 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (3rd best)
More on Washington County: Data
3. Chittenden County
Biggest Place: Burlington
Population: 169,758
Median Income: $96,759 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $511,926 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (6th best)
More on Chittenden County: Data
4. Addison County
Biggest Place: Middlebury
Population: 37,664
Median Income: $89,639 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $429,580 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (8th best)
More on Addison County: Data
5. Orange County
Biggest Place: Randolph
Population: 29,761
Median Income: $82,232 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $325,122 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (2nd best)
More on Orange County: Data
6. Windsor County
Biggest Place: Springfield
Population: 57,990
Median Income: $77,594 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $415,905 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (10th best)
More on Windsor County: Data
7. Lamoille County
Biggest Place: Morrisville
Population: 26,148
Median Income: $74,908 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $493,398 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (7th best)
More on Lamoille County: Data
8. Franklin County
Biggest Place: St. Albans
Population: 50,638
Median Income: $81,313 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $366,552 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (5th best)
More on Franklin County: Data
9. Windham County
Biggest Place: Brattleboro
Population: 45,923
Median Income: $72,217 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $369,559 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (12th best)
More on Windham County: Data
10. Caledonia County
Biggest Place: St. Johnsbury
Population: 30,475
Median Income: $69,970 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $294,635 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (best)
More on Caledonia County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Vermont county is the best?
To give you the best county in Vermont, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Vermont across each of the criteria from one to 14, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Vermont.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Green Mountain State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Vermont.
Read on to see why Grand Isle County is the best county, while Essex County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Vermont.
Summary: The Best Counties In Vermont To Call Home For 2026
Living in Vermont can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Vermont are Grand Isle County, Washington County, Chittenden County, Addison County, Orange County, Windsor County, Lamoille County, Franklin County, Windham County, and Caledonia County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Vermont according to the data:
- Essex County
- Orleans County
- Rutland County
For more Vermont reading, check out:
- Best Places To Buy A House In Vermont
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Vermont
- Best Counties To Live In Vermont
- Safest Places In Vermont
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Vermont
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Isle County | 7,450 | $97,396 | $449,029 |
| 2 | Washington County | 60,017 | $83,449 | $390,835 |
| 3 | Chittenden County | 169,758 | $96,759 | $511,926 |
| 4 | Addison County | 37,664 | $89,639 | $429,580 |
| 5 | Orange County | 29,761 | $82,232 | $325,122 |
| 6 | Windsor County | 57,990 | $77,594 | $415,905 |
| 7 | Lamoille County | 26,148 | $74,908 | $493,398 |
| 8 | Franklin County | 50,638 | $81,313 | $366,552 |
| 9 | Windham County | 45,923 | $72,217 | $369,559 |
| 10 | Caledonia County | 30,475 | $69,970 | $294,635 |
| 11 | Bennington County | 37,269 | $73,325 | $368,440 |
| 12 | Rutland County | 60,425 | $68,616 | $308,204 |
| 13 | Orleans County | 27,606 | $70,103 | $287,958 |
| 14 | Essex County | 5,982 | $59,294 | $233,281 |