Fastest-expanding counties in Vermont
What prompts individuals to relocate from one county or area to another? The common motivations include employment, family connections, partners, and the overall expenses of living, but additional factors are also influential. For those with kids, settling near a highly regarded school district is a crucial aspect. For younger individuals embarking on their careers, residing in a locale with a lively social environment might take precedence. And for those whose professional lives have eased after decades of labor, the aim is to discover retirement-friendly neighborhoods—places considered to be secure, provide access to healthcare services and recreational opportunities in equal measure, and remain economical for those with limited financial resources.
This, of course, is certainly not a comprehensive enumeration. Individuals’ motives for selecting their residences are as varied as humanity itself.
Regarding the reasons why particular counties throughout the U.S. have experienced growth, relocation is not the exclusive, or even the dominant, factor. While over 1,800 counties noted population increases in 2021, around 73% of all U.S. counties reported what the U.S. Census Bureau defines as a natural decline. This marked a notable rise from 2020, when 55.5% of counties experienced such a decline. According to the Bureau, a natural decrease simply arises when “more people die than are born within a population over a certain timeframe.” In 2021, the combination of fewer births and an aging demographic that was also dealing with an unusually high mortality rate due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic contributed to this “increased decline.”
Despite this, as mentioned, 1,800 counties across the nation have grown over the past year, and a significant portion of them are situated in Vermont. Stacker has assembled a summary of the fastest-expanding counties in Vermont utilizing data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked based on the highest population growth from 2010 to 2020, according to the U.S. Decennial Census.
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#14. Rutland County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: -1,070
— Ranked #2,540 among all counties nationwide
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: -1.7%
— Ranked #12 among counties in Vermont, #1,797 among all counties nationally
– Population in 2020: 60,572
— #2 largest county in Vermont, #868 largest county nationwide
#13. Caledonia County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: -994
— Ranked #2,498 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: -3.2%
— Ranked #13 among counties in Vermont, #2,028 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 30,233
— #9 largest county in Vermont, #1,425 largest county nationwide
#12. Essex County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: -386
— Ranked #2,020 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: -6.1%
— Ranked #14 among counties in Vermont, #2,484 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 5,920
— #14 largest county in Vermont, #2,741 largest county nationwide
#11. Orleans County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +162
— Ranked #1,349 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +0.6%
— Ranked #10 among counties in Vermont, #1,395 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 27,393
— #11 largest county in Vermont, #1,514 largest county nationwide
#10. Bennington County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +222
— Ranked #1,312 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +0.6%
— Ranked #9 among counties in Vermont, #1,394 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 37,347
— #8 largest county in Vermont, #1,241 largest county nationwide
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#9. Washington County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +273
— Ranked #1,278 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +0.5%
— Ranked #11 among counties in Vermont, #1,421 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 59,807
— #3 largest county in Vermont, #875 largest county nationwide
#8. Grand Isle County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +323
— Ranked #1,246 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +4.6%
— Ranked #3 among counties in Vermont, #857 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 7,293
— #13 largest county in Vermont, #2,639 largest county nationwide
#7. Orange County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +341
— Ranked #1,234 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +1.2%
— Ranked #8 among counties in Vermont, #1,313 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 29,277
— #10 largest county in Vermont, #1,446 largest county nationwide
#6. Addison County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +542
— Ranked #1,138 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +1.5%
— Ranked #7 among counties in Vermont, #1,255 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 37,363
— #7 largest county in Vermont, #1,239 largest county nationwide
#5. Windsor County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +1,083
— Ranked #978 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +1.9%
— Ranked #6 among counties in Vermont, #1,200 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 57,753
— #4 largest county in Vermont, #902 largest county nationwide
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#4. Windham County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +1,392
— Ranked #930 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +3.1%
— Ranked #5 among counties in Vermont, #1,038 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 45,905
— #6 largest county in Vermont, #1,056 largest county nationwide
#3. Lamoille County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +1,470
— Ranked #911 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +6.0%
— Ranked #2 among counties in Vermont, #716 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 25,945
— #12 largest county in Vermont, #1,562 largest county nationwide
#2. Franklin County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +2,200
— Ranked #792 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +4.6%
— Ranked #4 among counties in Vermont, #860 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 49,946
— #5 largest county in Vermont, #994 largest county nationwide
#1. Chittenden County
– Population change from 2010 to 2020: +11,778
— Ranked #393 among all counties nationally
– Percent population change from 2010 to 2020: +7.5%
— Ranked #1 among counties in Vermont, #597 among all counties nationwide
– Population in 2020: 168,323
— #1 largest county in Vermont, #399 largest county nationwide
