Essex County, Vermont Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Essex County, VT Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageLeast healthy county in Vermont
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C
Income Below averageLeast wealthy county in Vermont
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D
Education Well below averageLeast educated county in Vermont
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Essex County | Vermont Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,970 | 646,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8.9 | 67.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.39% | 0.38% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 52.4 | 41.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,817 | 273,198 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Essex County declined by 7.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,970 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Essex County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 26.6% of residents. That is 6.1 points above Vermont as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 933 15.6% -5.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 978 16.4% -3.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,438 24.1% +2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,591 26.6% +6.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Vermont, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.4% of the people living in Essex County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% Vermont 50.5%
- Men 50.6% Vermont 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Essex County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Essex County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Essex County | Vermont Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,269 | $81,508 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.27% | 4.72% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.5% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Essex County is about 27% lower than in Vermont.
Housing
| Metric | Essex County | Vermont Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $97,818 | $207,791 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $827 | $1,234 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.4% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Essex County is about 9.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $827 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Essex County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 196 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Essex County | Vermont Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.5 | 20.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.1 | 41.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 196 | 171 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,079 | $5,295 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.1% | 16.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,161 | 3,397 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 444 | 718 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Vermont:
Bennington County (16.5 min), Windham County (18.1 min), Rutland County (18.4 min).
Slowest:
Grand Isle County (32.0 min), Franklin County (26.5 min), Essex County (23.5 min).
The average commute time in Essex County is 24 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Vermont.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Essex County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Essex County | Vermont Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.3% | 38.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.10 | 2.27 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Vermont:
Chittenden County (0.4), Washington County (0.4), Grand Isle County (0.3).
Lowest:
Essex County (0.2), Orleans County (0.2), Franklin County (0.2).
Health
Essex County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Essex County | Vermont Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.8% | 11.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.2% | 15.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Vermont:
Chittenden County (0.8), Addison County (0.8), Washington County (0.8).
Lowest:
Essex County (0.8), Orleans County (0.8), Franklin County (0.8).
Essex County, VT Compared With Nearby Counties
Essex County, VT is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 5,970 residents against a local median of 30,464. Where Essex County, VT breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 51% below the local median of $200,689 at $97,818.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $59,269 against a local median of $70,885, 16% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 16% below the local median it puts Essex County, VT at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $187,511 on median home price, so Essex County, VT sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Essex County, VT has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, VT | 5,970 | $59,269 #5/6 | $97,818 #6/6 | 23.5 min #6/6 |
| Coos County, NH | 31,270 | $58,040 | $170,294 | 17.5 min |
| Caledonia County, VT | 30,464 | $70,885 | $114,570 | 21.3 min |
| Orleans County, VT | 27,611 | $70,432 | $200,689 | 20.8 min |
| Grafton County, NH | 92,112 | $89,036 | $272,189 | 17.5 min |
| Lamoille County, VT | 26,137 | $74,946 | $302,081 | 21.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Essex County, Vermont.
How many people live in Essex County, Vermont?
About 5,970 people live in Essex County, Vermont, in 2,817 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 52.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 15 years.
How densely populated is Essex County, Vermont?
Averaged over its land area, Essex County, Vermont has 9 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 10% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Essex County, Vermont?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($97,818 against $59,269), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $827 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Essex County, Vermont?
19.3% of adults in Essex County, Vermont hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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