The 14 fastest-growing counties in Vermont

Fastest-growing counties in Vermont

Why do people move from one county or region to another? The usual suspects are jobs, family, significant others, and overall cost of living, but there are other elements at play. For those with children, moving within close proximity of a highly rated school district is a key contributing factor. For younger adults just starting out, living someplace with a vibrant social scene might be a top priority. And for those whose careers have wound down after a lifetime of work, finding retirement-friendly communities is the goal—communities deemed to be safe, offer accessibility to medical resources and leisure activities in equal measure, and be affordable for those on a limited income.

This is, of course, by no means an exhaustive list. People’s reasons for choosing to live where they do are as diverse as people themselves.

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As far as why certain counties across the U.S. have experienced growth, relocation is not the sole, or even primary, reason why. While more than 1,800 counties saw population gains in 2021, approximately 73% of all U.S. counties saw what the U.S. Census Bureau characterizes as a natural decrease. This was a significant jump from 2020, when 55.5% of countries experienced such a decrease. According to the Bureau, natural decrease is the simple result of “when there are more deaths than births in a population over a given time period.” In 2021, the conflation of fewer births with an aging population that was also absorbing a higher-than-usual mortality rate due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led to this “increased decrease.”

Nonetheless, as stated 1,800 counties nationwide have grown larger over the last year, and a sizable percentage of them are in Vermont. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Vermont using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2020, based on the U.S. Decennial Census.

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#14. Rutland County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: -1,070
— #2,540 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -1.7%
— #12 among counties in Vermont, #1,797 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 60,572
— #2 largest county in Vermont, #868 largest county nationwide

#13. Caledonia County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: -994
— #2,498 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -3.2%
— #13 among counties in Vermont, #2,028 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 30,233
— #9 largest county in Vermont, #1,425 largest county nationwide

#12. Essex County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: -386
— #2,020 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -6.1%
— #14 among counties in Vermont, #2,484 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 5,920
— #14 largest county in Vermont, #2,741 largest county nationwide

#11. Orleans County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +162
— #1,349 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +0.6%
— #10 among counties in Vermont, #1,395 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 27,393
— #11 largest county in Vermont, #1,514 largest county nationwide

#10. Bennington County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +222
— #1,312 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +0.6%
— #9 among counties in Vermont, #1,394 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 37,347
— #8 largest county in Vermont, #1,241 largest county nationwide

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#9. Washington County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +273
— #1,278 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +0.5%
— #11 among counties in Vermont, #1,421 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 59,807
— #3 largest county in Vermont, #875 largest county nationwide

#8. Grand Isle County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +323
— #1,246 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +4.6%
— #3 among counties in Vermont, #857 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 7,293
— #13 largest county in Vermont, #2,639 largest county nationwide

#7. Orange County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +341
— #1,234 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.2%
— #8 among counties in Vermont, #1,313 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 29,277
— #10 largest county in Vermont, #1,446 largest county nationwide

#6. Addison County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +542
— #1,138 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.5%
— #7 among counties in Vermont, #1,255 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 37,363
— #7 largest county in Vermont, #1,239 largest county nationwide

#5. Windsor County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +1,083
— #978 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.9%
— #6 among counties in Vermont, #1,200 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 57,753
— #4 largest county in Vermont, #902 largest county nationwide

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#4. Windham County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +1,392
— #930 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +3.1%
— #5 among counties in Vermont, #1,038 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 45,905
— #6 largest county in Vermont, #1,056 largest county nationwide

#3. Lamoille County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +1,470
— #911 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +6.0%
— #2 among counties in Vermont, #716 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 25,945
— #12 largest county in Vermont, #1,562 largest county nationwide

#2. Franklin County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +2,200
— #792 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +4.6%
— #4 among counties in Vermont, #860 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 49,946
— #5 largest county in Vermont, #994 largest county nationwide

#1. Chittenden County

– 2010 to 2020 population change: +11,778
— #393 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +7.5%
— #1 among counties in Vermont, #597 among all counties nationwide
– 2020 population: 168,323
— #1 largest county in Vermont, #399 largest county nationwide