Discover the 10 Fastest-Growing Counties in Vermont

What are the fastest-growing counties in Vermont? Vermont is the second smallest state in the U.S. with a population of 647,064 in 2022. Given the small size, the population doesn’t increase as fast as it does in other states.

However, the pandemic and other states’ changing laws and policies created a slow, steady influx of people moving to the state. In two years, the population grew by 12,979 people. Ten of Vermont’s 14 counties saw triple-digit increases. Join us on a tour of the 10 fastest-growing counties in Vermont, based on the number of new people in those counties starting with the biggest increase.

1. Chittenden County

Chittenden County’s population increased by 915 people between 2020 and 2022. It’s the state’s largest county, in large because the state’s largest private employer, GlobalFoundries, is in Essex Junction in the former IBM plant. Many of the state’s other major employers call Chittenden County home, including the University of Vermont, the UVM Medical Center, and Dealer.com/Cox Automotive. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 33.3% of Vermont’s workforce works in Chittenden County.

Burlington, Essex Junction, South Burlington, and Winooski are the only cities in this county. Their respective populations are:

• Burlington: 44,595
• South Burlington: 20,624
• Essex Junction: 10,917
• Winooski: 8,328

What else makes up Chittenden County? Fourteen towns, census-designated places, unincorporated districts, and villages make up the rest of Chittenden County. By population increase, it is the fastest-growing Vermont county.

2. Franklin County

Saint Albans, both the city and town combined, has the largest population in Franklin County at 13,865. Swanton is second with 6,576 people. While Saint Albans City is the county’s only city, there are 14 towns, census-designated places, and villages, too. Between 2020 and 2022, Franklin County’s population increased by 692 people to 50,731.

With just over 1,000 employers providing jobs to area residents, Northwestern Medical Center is one of the county’s largest employers, but Franklin County has the highest number of dairy cow operations. The St. Albans Coop Creamery and Dairy Farmers of America is in the heart of Saint Albans City and sells groceries, animal feed, and farm supplies to area farmers.

3. Orange County

A surprising 547 people moved to Orange County during the pandemic, bringing the county’s population to 29,846. Brookfield is one of the county’s noted towns, due to Brookfield Floating Bridge, initially built in 1820. This bridge is part of Vermont Route 65 and connects the two areas that Sunset Lake separates.

Randolph is the county’s largest town with a population of 4,774. It’s home to Vermont State University, formerly Vermont Technical College, and Gifford Medical Center, two of the area’s biggest employers.

4. Windsor County

You won’t find any cities in Windsor County, but there are 24 towns, census-designated places, unincorporated areas, and villages. Springfield is the second-largest town in this county, but Hartford is the largest with a population of 10,686. Hartford is on the New Hampshire border and sits where the White River and Connecticut River meet. It’s home to the deepest gorge in Vermont at 165 feet.

The county’s 19 interstates, highways, and main routes span almost 114 miles, making it the highest number of main arteries in the state. Getting in and out of this county isn’t difficult, even with the increased traffic from 398 people that brought the county’s population to 58,142.

5. Caledonia County

Caledonia County’s population of 30,579 is spread out across 17 towns, villages, and census-designated places. Saint Johnsbury is the county seat and home to 7,364 people. Since 2020, the population increased by 396 people.

Momentum Manufacturing Group is one of Saint Johnsbury’s largest manufacturing employees, with more than 650 employees in the company’s eight New England facilities. Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital and Vermont State College, formerly Lyndon State College, are other major employers in Caledonia County. Maple Grove Farms is also in town with a very small workforce and welcomes visitors to its Sugar House Museum.

6. Washington County

Washington County’s population increased by 292 people to 60,048. Surprisingly, the state’s capital isn’t the biggest city, that honor falls to Barre, which has a population of 8,430 in just the city. Barre Town surrounds the city and adds another 7,923.

Just outside of Barre in Graniteville is the Rock of Ages Quarry, the world’s largest deep-hole quarry that’s still in operation. State offices, Keurig Green Mountain, National Life Group, and Ben & Jerry’s are all major employers in Washington County.

7. Orleans County

Orleans County makes up the northeastern corner of the state. It’s home to Jay Peak, a ski resort and water park, which provides plenty of year-round and seasonal jobs. The county’s 2022 population of 27,666 saw an increase of 262 people during the pandemic.

Newport is the only city in the county and has a population of 4,455. It’s home to North Country Hospital, the biggest employer in Newport with more than 600 employees.

8. Addison County

With an increase of 235 people, the population in Addison County reached 37,578 in 2022. The majority of the population lives in Middlebury, The interesting thing is that Middlebury isn’t the county’s city as it’s classified as a town shire. Vergennes is the only city, but the population is much smaller at 2,553.

Jobs in Addison County range from retail and tourism to professional positions at Middlebury College and Porter Medical Center. Collins Aerospace/RTX in Vergennes is another major employer in Addison County.

9. Grand Isle County

It’s crucial to take note of the population increase in Grand Isle County. While the increase was just 213 people, it’s a big leap considering the population is just 7,489. It’s a lot of growth for a small population that is spread out on four Lake Champlain islands: Grand Isle, South Hero, North Hero, and Isle La Motte.

Apple orchards are a major industry in Grand Isle County, including Allenholm Farm and Hackett’s Orchard. Mostly, the islands are home to locally-owned companies that hire a small staff. Commuting to neighboring counties or across the lake to Plattsburgh, NY, is common.

10. Lamoille County

The last of the 10 fastest-growing counties in Vermont has just 10 towns, villages, census-designated places, or unincorporated communities. Lamoille County is rural and requires a vehicle to go shopping or run errands. Still, the population increased by 173 people, reaching 26,090 people in 2022.

Smugglers’ Notch is a major employer in Lamoille County, and the ski resort offers daycare to its employees, which makes it a popular option. Other employers include Vermont State College, formerly Johnson State College, and Copley Health Systems in Morrisville, the county’s largest town with a population of 5,434.

Only Two Counties Saw Decreases

While most of Vermont saw triple-digit increases, Rutland and Windham counties experienced decreases. In Rutland, a clothing manufacturer closed down, which put 50 people out of work, and that was just one of the issues. A dairy farm, the Diamond Run Mall, and several restaurants have shut down. If there’s no work, relocating to other counties or states becomes necessary.

Windham County is home to the oldest house in Vermont. It’s another county that saw a population decline, and some of this comes from poor infrastructure. High-speed internet service poses problems in areas, and Windham County is one of them. Many rural towns lack high-speed connections, which makes it difficult and frustrating to work from home or complete online classes from slow DSL or dial-up connections.

The Vermont General Assembly passed legislation in 2015 allowing towns and cities to form their own communications union districts. The goal is to make it easier to attract smaller, local broadband services to make every county in Vermont a great place to live and work. As the infrastructure improves, these two areas should make it onto the list of fastest-growing counties in Vermont.