What is the poverty rate in Vermont?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 9.2% of Vermont’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 57,300 people in Vermont were considered in poverty.
9.2%
of the population (2025)
57.3K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, Vermont's poverty rate hit a peak in 2010 of 12.7%. Its lowest point was in 2024 at 9%. The state's poverty rate was 9.2% in 2025, 0.2 percentage points higher than the previous year.
In 2025, 9.2% of Vermont's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 57,300 people living in Vermont were in poverty — down 24.9% from the 2010 peak of 76,400.
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In 2025, 57,300 people in Vermont were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Vermont?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Vermont decreased from 13.3% to 9.9%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 10.3% to 9.3%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 6.6% to 8.5%.
In 2025, 9.9% of children in Vermont were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Vermont?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Vermont during 2025, four had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); some other race; and two or more races
One had a lower than average poverty rate: White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population shifted the most, increasing from 20.6% in 2015 to 35.9% in 2025.
In Vermont, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population increased from 20.6% in 2015 to 35.9% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Vermont have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Vermont counties ranged from 7.6% in Addison County to 13.8% in Essex County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Chittenden County — was 9.7%.
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Vermont counties ranged from 7.6% to 13.8%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Essex County | 13.8% |
| 2. | Rutland County | 11.8% |
| 3. | Orleans County | 11.7% |
| 4. | Caledonia County | 11.7% |
| 5. | Windham County | 11.6% |
| 6. | Bennington County | 11.3% |
| 7. | Franklin County | 10.3% |
| 8. | Chittenden County | 9.7% |
| 9. | Orange County | 9.3% |
| 10. | Windsor County | 9.2% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
