1st Advantage MortgageAddison County households have a median income of $89,639 and median rent of $1,177 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). A loan makes sense only if its total cost beats your alternatives and the payment fits your budget. Check the lender's Vermont license first.
On this page
- Who lives in Addison County
- What Addison County households earn
- The Addison County job picture
- Housing costs in Addison County
- Cities, towns and CDPs in Addison County
- Regional comparison for Addison County
- Addison County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- Before borrowing in Addison County
- What a median Addison County budget can carry
- Checking a lender's license in Vermont
- Four steps for Addison County borrowers
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Who lives in Addison County
Addison County is home to about 37,664 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 7th most populous of 14 county-level areas in Vermont. Spread over 766 square miles, that works out to roughly 49.1 residents per square mile. No metropolitan area includes Addison County in the 2023 federal delineation, so its numbers stand on their own rather than as part of a metro. The Census Bureau counts 25 places in the county (19 incorporated, 6 census-designated); the largest is Middlebury, with about 7,220 residents, or 19% of the county.
What Addison County households earn
The median household income in Addison County is $89,639; statewide it is $81,203, so Addison County runs 10% above Vermont as a whole. That places it 3rd among Vermont's 14 county-level areas.
| Band | Addison County | Compared with Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 17.3% | -2.9 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 38.9% | -0.5 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 32.3% | +2.8 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 11.6% | +0.5 pts |
Some 17% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 44% have six-figure incomes. The poverty rate is 7.6%, 2 points lower than the state's 10.1%. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.427 here. For a borrower in Addison County, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.
The Addison County job picture
The biggest employer of Addison County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 29% of workers, followed by retail trade (11%). The sharpest difference from the state is in agriculture, forestry and mining, at 5% locally and 3% for Vermont. Averaged over the five survey years, 3.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking. Long commutes are common here: 16% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work.
| Industry (employed residents 16+) | Addison County | Gap to Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.3% | +0.5 pts |
| Retail trade | 10.5% | -0.5 pts |
| Manufacturing | 9.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Construction | 9.7% | +1.9 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 9.4% | -0.6 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 7.6% | -1.3 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Addison County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
Housing costs in Addison County
A typical Addison County rental runs $1,177 a month including utilities, which is 5% below Vermont. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 46% of renter households here. With a median value of $361,200, a typical Addison County house costs 4.0 times what the median household earns in a year. Owners occupy 79% of homes.
| Cost | Addison County | Vermont figure | Median county, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,177/mo | $1,234/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $361,200 | $316,600 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 79% | 73% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 46% | 48% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 33% | 29% | n/a |
In an owner-heavy county like Addison County, many borrowers can also choose a home equity loan or line of credit. Those can price lower but put the house on the line, so compare the two in writing; our personal loan vs. HELOC guide walks through it.
Cities, towns and CDPs in Addison County
The table lists the 14 largest of 25 Census places in Addison County, by population. Together all 25 hold about 31,908 people, so roughly 15% of residents live outside any named place. Incomes vary by place: $119,688 at the median in Monkton, $70,417 in Orwell. Median rent ranges from $1,000 in Vergennes to $2,019 in Addison. This guide covers each of the 25 places and the rural areas around them.
| Name | Kind | Pop. | Income | Rent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlebury | CDP | 7,220 | $86,250 | $1,201 | 2 mi |
| Ferrisburgh | town | 2,661 | $106,989 | $1,435 | 14 mi |
| Vergennes | city | 2,565 | $76,587 | $1,000 | 11 mi |
| Bristol | CDP | 2,142 | $73,064 | $1,288 | 8 mi |
| Monkton | town | 1,999 | $119,688 | $1,301 | 14 mi |
| Starksboro | town | 1,939 | $82,188 | $1,306 | 14 mi |
| Orwell | town | 1,294 | $70,417 | $1,105 | 17 mi |
| Shoreham | town | 1,269 | $93,654 | $1,306 | 13 mi |
| Bridport | town | 1,235 | $83,214 | $1,184 | 10 mi |
| Cornwall | town | 1,208 | $114,583 | $1,125 | 6 mi |
| Salisbury | town | 1,200 | $99,688 | $1,443 | 7 mi |
| Addison | town | 1,175 | $106,667 | $2,019 | 10 mi |
| Leicester | town | 1,026 | $70,417 | $1,098 | 11 mi |
| Weybridge | town | 781 | $118,083 | $1,227 | 4 mi |
Regional comparison for Addison County
Six nearby counties, 29 to 42 miles away by the straight-line distance between their centers. Income ranges from $68,616 in Rutland County to $96,759 in Chittenden County; 1 of these neighbors top Addison County's median. Some neighbors are in New York. Lender licensing is state by state, so a loan for a Addison County resident follows Vermont rules.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addison County | - | $89,639 | $1,177/mo | 79% |
| Rutland County, VT | 29 mi | $68,616 | $1,000/mo | 75% |
| Chittenden County, VT | 30 mi | $96,759 | $1,646/mo | 64% |
| Washington County, VT | 31 mi | $83,449 | $1,163/mo | 74% |
| Essex County, NY | 32 mi | $71,661 | $934/mo | 77% |
| Orange County, VT | 38 mi | $82,232 | $1,173/mo | 83% |
| Windsor County, VT | 42 mi | $77,594 | $1,118/mo | 75% |
Addison County residents: age, schooling, coverage
44% of Addison County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. The uninsured rate is 4.6%, against 3.9% for Vermont.
| Addison County | Vermont | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.1 | 43.1 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 43.6% | 43.8% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 4.5% | 5.1% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 4.6% | 3.9% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 4.9% | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 17.4% | 16.9% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 10.1% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.8% | 3.6% | 4.4% |
| Travel time to work | Workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 33.7% |
| 15 to 29 min | 32.1% |
| 30 to 44 min | 18.5% |
| 45 to 59 min | 9.6% |
| 60+ min | 6.2% |
Before borrowing in Addison County
Based on the Addison County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Strong incomes, long terms. 44% of Addison County households earn $100,000+. The risk is a term that outlasts the need.
- 46% rent-burdened. A payment on top of high rent needs a cushion; size it with the calculator.
- Scams. A fee demanded before funding is a red flag; report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (spotting scams).
What a median Addison County budget can carry
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Addison County's medians:
- Median income divided by twelve: $7,470 before taxes
- 16% goes to median rent ($1,177)
- 40% debt-to-income limit: $1,811 left for all other debt payments
Lenders set their own limits and look beyond the ratio. The DTI calculator uses your figures instead of Addison County's.
Checking a lender's license in Vermont
The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation is the place to verify any lender's Vermont license. A CFPB complaint gets forwarded to the company for a response. The Vermont guide covers state rules in more detail.
Four steps for Addison County borrowers
A short checklist for Addison County borrowers:
- Price the Addison County expense first and borrow that amount, no more.
- Prequalify with soft pulls where offered, then compare in writing.
- Verify the Vermont license before giving out your Social Security number.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
Nearby and statewide guides
The Vermont guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
How much do households in Addison County earn?
The median is $89,639; 44% earn $100,000 or more and 17% under $35,000. A lender uses your own documented income, not this figure.
Is Addison County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $1,177 against $1,234 statewide, and 46% of renter households are cost-burdened.
I own my home in Addison County. Personal loan or HELOC?
A HELOC uses the house as collateral; a personal loan usually does not. With 79% of homes owner-occupied here, many readers can compare both in writing.
Which towns does the Addison County guide cover?
Every community in the county, unincorporated areas included. The largest of its 25 Census places: Middlebury, Ferrisburgh, Vergennes, Bristol, Monkton.
Does living in Addison County change what I qualify for?
Not in our fit check, which uses only the amount, credit range, income and payments you enter, the same for a Addison County resident as anyone. Lenders decide under fair-lending law.