Town · Vermont
Canaan, Vermont
Canaan, town, in Essex County, Vermont. Canaan had 895 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 896 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 810 (±110). GEOID 5000911800.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
895
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 896 · ACS 2020-2024: 810 ±110
Median household income
$55,606
±$3,733 (90% margin)
Vermont: $81,203
Median home value
$201,900
±$46,042 (90% margin)
Vermont: $316,600
Median gross rent
not published
Vermont: $1,234
Where is Canaan and what county is it in?
Canaan is a town in Essex County, Vermont. It covers 33.0 square miles of land, 27 residents per square mile in 2020.
2 places lie inside Canaan: Canaan (CDP, 393 in 2020) and Beecher Falls (CDP, 139 in 2020).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Canaan, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 895 people lived in Canaan on July 1, 2025, down 0.4% since 2020, while Vermont grew 0.2%. The 2020 Census counted 896 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 810 (±110).
| Measure | Canaan | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 810±110 | 5,982 | no clear change |
| Households | 384±54 | 2,823 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.11±0.19 | 2.10 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 589±86 | 4,952 | no clear change |
Canaan's population since 2000
From 1,078 in 2000 to 895 in 2025: down 17.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Canaan as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Canaan?
The median resident of Canaan is 53.2 years old; 15.8% are under 18 and 28.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 99.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 1.0%. 3.3% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Canaan | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.2±4.6 | 51.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 15.8%±4.3 pts | 16.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 28.5%±6.8 pts | 27.6% | – |
| Male | 46.7%±3.9 pts | 50.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0%±3.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 99.0%±1.2 pts | 92.6% | +8.1 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.0 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.0%±1.2 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.3%±1.6 pts | 3.1% | −10.5 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 16.1%±5.4 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.7%±2.3 pts | 9.3% | – |
| With a disability | 11.0%±3.4 pts | 22.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.2%±4.3 pts | 4.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.1%±4.1 pts | 89.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 13.8%±4.5 pts | 21.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.3%±1.8 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 97.8%±1.4 pts | 94.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.1%±0.3 pts | 2.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Canaan earn?
Half of Canaan's 384 households earn less than $55,606 a year (±$3,733), against $59,294 in Essex County and $81,203 in Vermont. In 2015-2019 it was $53,843 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 10.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Canaan | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,606±$3,733 | $59,294 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $67,175±$8,171 | $79,239 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,500±$3,107 | $36,657 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 10.4%±4.2 pts | 13.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0%±17.7 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.4%±7.9 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.3%±3.7 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.7%±4.4 pts | 86.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Canaan?
Owners occupy 91.4% of Canaan's occupied homes and renters 8.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $201,900 by its owner (±$46,042).
| Measure | Canaan | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $201,900±$46,042 | $172,500 | +$58,524 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 17.2%±20.8 pts | 24.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,680±$171 | $1,493 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 91.4%±4.5 pts | 82.4% | +13.9 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 8.6%±4.5 pts | 17.6% | – |
| Housing units | 589±86 | 4,952 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±6.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±45.3 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.1%±5.1 pts | 81.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.3%±2.4 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.5%±2.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.8%±4.1 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 21.9%±6.6 pts | 27.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.6%±2.7 pts | 4.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Canaan building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Canaan in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Vermont.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Canaan work and get to work?
72.3% of Canaan's workers drive alone and 15.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 20.0 minutes.
| Measure | Canaan | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.6%±5.1 pts | 55.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0%±5.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.3%±7.2 pts | 78.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.8%±3.0 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±5.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 5.3%±5.0 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 15.4%±7.0 pts | 10.1% | +12.5 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.0 min±4.8 | 28.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Canaan?
No census tract lies mostly in Canaan; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9501Essex County | 1,687 | $56,413 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Canaan) · Census block assignment files
How does Canaan compare with other places in Vermont?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Canaan is the 8,076th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 169th-most populous of 237 in Vermont.
Canaan is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 169th | 237 |
Canaan's figures with every place in Vermont (CSV)
Every place in Vermont, sortable · Compare Canaan with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Canaan?
19 of the 56 figures for Canaan on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Canaan are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.