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.
Vermont lost a net 726 people to other states in the year ending July 2025 — 34th in the nation for domestic migration; the full moving statistics breakdown shows who’s coming and going.
855.7% growth since 2010 · 5,819 net new residents
Shelburne is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Located along the shores of Lake Champlain, Shelburne is a suburb of Burlington, the largest city in the state of Vermont. Shelburne’s town center lies approximately 7 miles south of Burlington’s city’s center. The population of Shelburne was 7,144 at the 2010 census.
The main settlement of Shelburne in the center of town is a census-designated place, with a population of 592 at the 2010 census. The town is the wealthiest municipality in both Chittenden County and the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area.
19.6% growth since 2010 · 3,400 net new residents
Located in
Chittenden County, Vermont
South Burlington is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. It is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and home to the headquarters of Ben & Jerry’s and Vermont’s largest mall, the University Mall. It is also one in the principal municipalities of the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
16.3% growth since 2010 · 1,160 net new residents
Located in
Chittenden County, Vermont
Winooski is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Located on the Winooski River, as of the 2010 U.S. Census the municipal population was 7,267. The city is the most densely populated municipality in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is the smallest in area of Vermont’s nine incorporated cities. As part of the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area, it is bordered by Burlington, Colchester, and South Burlington.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
10.6% growth since 2010 · 694 net new residents
Middlebury is the shire town of Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 8,496 at the 2010 census. Middlebury is home to Middlebury College and the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History.
7.3% growth since 2010 · 521 net new residents
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont’s eastern border, Brattleboro is located about 10 miles north of the Massachusetts state line, at the confluence of Vermont’s West River and the Connecticut. In 2014, Brattleboro’s population was estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau to be 11,765.
6.5% growth since 2010 · 2,740 net new residents
Located in
Chittenden County, Vermont
Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located 45 miles south of the Canada-United States border and 94 miles south of Canada’s second most populous municipality, Montreal. The city’s population was 42,452 according to a 2015 U.S. census estimate. It is the least populous municipality in the United States to be the most populous incorporated area in a state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
3.1% growth since 2010 · 276 net new residents
Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, in the United States. It is one of two shire towns of the county, the other being Manchester. The population is 15,431, as of 2014 US Census estimates. Bennington is the most populous town in southern Vermont, the third-largest town in Vermont and the sixth-largest municipality in the state including the cities of Burlington, Rutland, and South Burlington in the count.
1.4% growth since 2010 · 111 net new residents
Located in
Washington County, Vermont
Montpelier is the capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Washington County. As the site of Vermont’s state government, it is the least populous state capital in the United States. The population was 7,855 at the 2010 census. However, the daytime population swells to about 21,000, due to the large number of jobs within city limits. The Vermont College of Fine Arts and New England Culinary Institute are located in the municipality. It was named for Montpellier, France.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
-1.3% growth since 2010 · -90 net new residents
Located in
Franklin County, Vermont
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
-6.1% growth since 2010 · -1,027 net new residents
Located in
Rutland County, Vermont
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Vermont’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Vermont’s growth is happening
Saturday Night Science
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.
The full plate
Fastest Growing Places In Vermont For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| 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 |
| 11 | Barre | 8,412 | 9,112 | -7.7% | -700 |
| 12 | St. Johnsbury | 5,859 | 6,722 | -12.8% | -863 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS, 2010-current. 12 Vermont cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
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! Not sold on Vermont? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Fastest Growing Cities In Vermont FAQs
What is the fastest-growing city in Vermont?
Shelburne is the fastest-growing city in Vermont for 2026, based on population change since 2010. South Burlington and Winooski are growing nearly as fast.
What are the top 10 fastest-growing cities in Vermont?
The fastest-growing cities in Vermont are Shelburne, South Burlington, Winooski, Middlebury, Brattleboro, Burlington, Bennington, Montpelier, St. Albans, and Rutland. We ranked all 12 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
How do you measure growth?
Growth is the percent change in population from the 2010 Census to the latest American Community Survey estimates. No projections, no vibes — just how many more people actually live there now.
What is the slowest-growing city on the list?
St. Johnsbury posts the smallest population change of the 12 Vermont cities we ranked. Slow growth is not automatically bad news, but the momentum is clearly elsewhere.
Do small towns count in this ranking?
Only places with more than 5,000 residents qualify, which keeps one new subdivision from turning a tiny town into a statistical rocket. 12 Vermont cities cleared that bar this year.
