Is being in an area of Vermont that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Burlington and South Burlington, while others want peace and quiet like in St. Johnsbury and Shelburne, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Vermont have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Green Mountain State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Vermont For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in Vermont for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Shelburne ranks as the fastest-growing city in Vermont. If you happen to be a resident of Shelburne, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Vermont grow like weeds.
For more Vermont state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Vermont
- Cheapest Places To Live In Vermont
- Most Dangerous Cities In Vermont
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Vermont For 2026
1. Shelburne
/10
Population: 6,499
Population 2010: 680
Percent Growth 855.7%
Absolute Growth: 5,819
More on Shelburne: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. South Burlington
/10
Population: 20,756
Population 2010: 17,356
Percent Growth 19.6%
Absolute Growth: 3,400
More on South Burlington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Winooski
/10
Population: 8,293
Population 2010: 7,133
Percent Growth 16.3%
Absolute Growth: 1,160
More on Winooski: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Middlebury
/10
Population: 7,220
Population 2010: 6,526
Percent Growth 10.6%
Absolute Growth: 694
More on Middlebury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Brattleboro
/10
Population: 7,657
Population 2010: 7,136
Percent Growth 7.3%
Absolute Growth: 521
More on Brattleboro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Burlington
/10
Population: 44,675
Population 2010: 41,935
Percent Growth 6.5%
Absolute Growth: 2,740
More on Burlington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Bennington
/10
Population: 9,245
Population 2010: 8,969
Percent Growth 3.1%
Absolute Growth: 276
More on Bennington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Montpelier
/10
Population: 8,014
Population 2010: 7,903
Percent Growth 1.4%
Absolute Growth: 111
More on Montpelier: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. St. Albans
/10
Population: 6,954
Population 2010: 7,044
Percent Growth -1.3%
Absolute Growth: -90
More on St. Albans: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Rutland
/10
Population: 15,712
Population 2010: 16,739
Percent Growth -6.1%
Absolute Growth: -1,027
More on Rutland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Green Mountain State for 2026
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2024)
We ranked all 12 Vermont cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Green Mountain State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the fastest growing cities in Vermont.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Vermont with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Vermont, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Vermont are led by Shelburne which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Vermont are Shelburne, South Burlington, Winooski, Middlebury, Brattleboro, Burlington, Bennington, Montpelier, St. Albans, and Rutland.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- St. Johnsbury
- Barre
- Rutland
For more Vermont reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Vermont For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelburne | 6,499 | 680 | 855.7% | 5,819 |
| 2 | South Burlington | 20,756 | 17,356 | 19.6% | 3,400 |
| 3 | Winooski | 8,293 | 7,133 | 16.3% | 1,160 |
| 4 | Middlebury | 7,220 | 6,526 | 10.6% | 694 |
| 5 | Brattleboro | 7,657 | 7,136 | 7.3% | 521 |
| 6 | Burlington | 44,675 | 41,935 | 6.5% | 2,740 |
| 7 | Bennington | 9,245 | 8,969 | 3.1% | 276 |
| 8 | Montpelier | 8,014 | 7,903 | 1.4% | 111 |
| 9 | St. Albans | 6,954 | 7,044 | -1.3% | -90 |
| 10 | Rutland | 15,712 | 16,739 | -6.1% | -1,027 |