RANK #863 / 1001 NAT · POP 169,758
1YR FORECAST: -0.9%
5YR OUTLOOK: +21%
Burlington, the largest city in Vermont and the county seat, anchors Chittenden County, situated in northwestern Vermont between Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains. The county is Vermont's most populous, home to over a quarter of the state's residents. Commuting within the county is facilitated by Green Mountain Transit, offering bus services, and carpooling options are encouraged. The community offers access to outdoor recreation, including hiking and biking trails like the Island Line Trail, and winter sports at Bolton Valley and Cochran's Ski Area. Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak, is also located within the county.
Chittenden County offers a quality of life recognized for its natural beauty and community focus. The economy is diversified, with significant employment in healthcare, education, and retail. The University of Vermont and the UVM Medical Center are major institutions and employers in the area. Recent economic developments include ongoing housing projects in Burlington and Winooski, aiming to address housing shortages, though rising costs remain a factor. The county's public schools are highly rated, and towns like South Burlington, Essex, and Williston are noted for their schools and family-friendly amenities.
Chittenden County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +1.0% YoY, population +0.6%, wages +4.5%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Below national median
Moderate climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 9.4x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
The data is not encouraging — Chittenden County scores just 13/100 on the Boom Town Index, ranking #863 of 1001 counties. Job growth at -0.1% and median household income of $96,759 reflect an economy that has been contracting or stagnating relative to the rest of the country.
Chittenden County leans toward the expensive side. A median home value of $439,200 against an income-to-home-value ratio of 0.22 means housing eats a bigger share of local earnings than the national norm. Renters face $1,646/month on average.
Chittenden County's population is growing — up +0.6% YoY — while the job market is roughly flat (employment change of -0.1%). Home values shifted +1.0% over the past year. In-migration is outpacing local hiring, which often points to remote workers or retirees driving the headcount.
Not particularly — 1.61% of Chittenden County's population moved in from another state, which is below the national average. Most residents are long-term locals rather than recent transplants.