You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Vermont.
The median household income in Chittenden County, the richest county in Vermont is $96,759, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 14 counties in the Green Mountain State. Let’s star gaze together.
What is the richest county in Vermont? The richest county in Vermont is Chittenden County. In contrast, the poorest county in the state is Essex County, according to the Census data.
$96,759 median income · $511,927 median home price
$97,396 median income · $449,029 median home price
$89,639 median income · $429,581 median home price
$83,449 median income · $390,836 median home price
$74,908 median income · $493,398 median home price
$77,594 median income · $415,906 median home price
$82,232 median income · $325,123 median home price
$81,313 median income · $366,552 median home price
$73,325 median income · $368,440 median home price
$72,217 median income · $369,559 median home price
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Vermont’s statewide median.
Vermont statewide median: $81,203
Vermont statewide median: $394,038
On the map
Where Vermont’s richest counties are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which Vermont county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Vermont, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. 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 the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Vermont for each of the criteria from one to 14, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Vermont.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Green Mountain State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Vermont. The median Vermont home is 49 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Vermont
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chittenden County | 169,758 | $96,759 | $511,927 |
| 2 | Grand Isle County | 7,450 | $97,396 | $449,029 |
| 3 | Addison County | 37,664 | $89,639 | $429,581 |
| 4 | Washington County | 60,017 | $83,449 | $390,836 |
| 4 | Lamoille County | 26,148 | $74,908 | $493,398 |
| 6 | Windsor County | 57,990 | $77,594 | $415,906 |
| 7 | Orange County | 29,761 | $82,232 | $325,123 |
| 7 | Franklin County | 50,638 | $81,313 | $366,552 |
| 9 | Bennington County | 37,269 | $73,325 | $368,440 |
| 9 | Windham County | 45,923 | $72,217 | $369,559 |
| 12 | Caledonia County | 30,475 | $69,970 | $294,635 |
| 12 | Rutland County | 60,425 | $68,616 | $308,205 |
| 12 | Orleans County | 27,606 | $70,103 | $287,959 |
| 14 | Essex County | 5,982 | $59,294 | $233,281 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS + Zillow via Saturday Night Science. All 14 Vermont counties.
Summary
Summary: The Richest Counties In Vermont For 2026
Living in Vermont can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Vermont are Chittenden County, Grand Isle County, Addison County, Washington County, Lamoille County, Windsor County, Orange County, Franklin County, Bennington County, and Windham County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome. Not sold on Vermont? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Richest Counties In Vermont FAQs
What is the richest county in Vermont?
Chittenden County is the richest county in Vermont for 2026, with a median household income of $96,759. Grand Isle County and Addison County are next.
What are the richest counties in Vermont?
The richest counties in Vermont are Chittenden County, Grand Isle County, Addison County, Washington County, Lamoille County, Windsor County, Orange County, Franklin County, Bennington County, and Windham County. We ranked all 14 Vermont counties on average home price and median income.
How much do people make in Chittenden County?
The median household in Chittenden County earns $96,759 a year, against a Vermont statewide median of $81,203. The US median household income is $74,580.
What do homes cost in the richest counties of Vermont?
The median home across the ten richest Vermont counties is $403,371, versus $394,038 statewide. In Chittenden County, the typical home runs $511,927.
What is the poorest county in Vermont?
Essex County is the poorest county in Vermont by this ranking, coming in last of the 14 counties we scored on income and home prices.
