Town · Vermont
Essex, Vermont
Essex, town, in Chittenden County, Vermont. Essex had 11,346 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.2% from the Bureau's April 2020 estimates base of 11,486; the 2020 Census counted 22,094 on the place as it was defined then and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 11,516 (±22). GEOID 5000724175.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
11,346
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 22,094 · ACS 2020-2024: 11,516 ±22
Median household income
$110,199
±$14,119 (90% margin)
Vermont: $81,203
Median home value
$447,300
±$13,649 (90% margin)
Vermont: $316,600
Median gross rent
$1,569
±$138 (90% margin)
Vermont: $1,234
Where is Essex and what county is it in?
Essex is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont. It covers 34.3 square miles of land, 643 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Essex: Essex Junction (city, 10,590 in 2020).
Essex is in the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Essex, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 11,346 people lived in Essex on July 1, 2025, down 1.2% since 2020, while Vermont grew 0.2%. The Census Bureau's yearly estimates start from its own April 2020 base for Essex, 11,486, which differs from the 2020 Census count of 22,094: the estimates follow the place as the estimates program defines it today (its present boundaries, and for a consolidated city-county the area the program assigns it), so the change since 2020 is measured from that base. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 11,516 (±22).
| Measure | Essex | Chittenden County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 11,516±22 | 169,758 | −9,951 |
| Households | 4,912±277 | 71,456 | −3,918 |
| Average household size | 2.33±0.13 | 2.23 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 4,995±268 | 74,888 | −4,075 |
Essex's population since 2000
From 18,626 in 2000 to 11,346 in 2025: down 39.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Essex 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 Essex?
The median resident of Essex is 42.4 years old; 22.4% are under 18 and 19.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.3%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 6.6%. 12.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Essex | Chittenden County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.4±1.9 | 37.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.4%±3.2 pts | 17.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.9%±3.2 pts | 16.9% | – |
| Male | 46.4%±2.6 pts | 48.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.8%±1.6 pts | 2.9% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 83.3%±4.3 pts | 85.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.7%±3.0 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 6.6%±2.6 pts | 4.4% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.9%±1.4 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6%±0.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 12.4%±4.4 pts | 7.9% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 15.4%±5.5 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.5%±1.7 pts | 4.5% | – |
| With a disability | 7.9%±2.0 pts | 11.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.4%±1.0 pts | 3.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.1%±2.0 pts | 96.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 57.6%±4.5 pts | 56.8% | +5.4 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 24.7%±3.7 pts | 24.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.8%±3.6 pts | 82.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.3%±1.8 pts | 6.6% | – |
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 Essex earn?
Half of Essex's 4,912 households earn less than $110,199 a year (±$14,119), against $96,759 in Chittenden County and $81,203 in Vermont. In 2015-2019 it was $104,102 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 5.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Essex | Chittenden County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $110,199±$14,119 | $96,759 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $128,463±$10,419 | $123,772 | – |
| Per capita income | $53,811±$4,966 | $52,322 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.0%±2.5 pts | 9.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 12.1%±9.4 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 2.6%±1.4 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 99.4%±0.7 pts | 96.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 99.1%±0.9 pts | 93.4% | – |
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 Essex?
Owners occupy 75.9% of Essex's occupied homes and renters 24.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $447,300 by its owner (±$13,649). The median renter pays $1,569 a month including utilities, and 36.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Essex | Chittenden County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $447,300±$13,649 | $439,200 | +$76,861 |
| Median gross rent | $1,569±$138 | $1,646 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.1%±15.1 pts | 40.2% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,370±$231 | $2,268 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 75.9%±5.9 pts | 63.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 24.1%±5.9 pts | 36.1% | – |
| Housing units | 4,995±268 | 74,888 | −4,075 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±0.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±2.1 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 53.3%±6.5 pts | 51.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.5%±1.1 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.9%±1.0 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 20.8%±6.3 pts | 11.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.2%±2.6 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.9%±5.0 pts | 7.1% | – |
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 Essex building?
Builders took permits for 41 new housing units in Essex in 2025 (14 in single-family houses), 3.6 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 Essex work and get to work?
70.3% of Essex's workers drive alone and 21.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 22.0 minutes.
| Measure | Essex | Chittenden County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 71.2%±3.9 pts | 70.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1%±2.2 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 70.3%±6.4 pts | 61.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.8%±5.2 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.1%±0.2 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Walked | 1.5%±1.1 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 21.5%±5.9 pts | 19.8% | +18.4 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.0 min±1.9 | 21.1 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 Essex?
4 census tracts lie mostly in Essex (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $83,365 (Tract 26.01) to $126,392 (Tract 27.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 26.01Chittenden County | 6,286 | $83,365 |
| Tract 27.01Chittenden County | 6,278 | $91,229 |
| Tract 27.02Chittenden County | 5,238 | $126,392 |
| Tract 26.02Chittenden County | 4,517 | $96,875 |
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 Essex) · Census block assignment files
How does Essex compare with other places in Vermont?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Essex is the 1,101st-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 4th-most populous of 237 in Vermont.
Essex ranks 17th of 198 places in Vermont with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 4th | 237 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 111th | 173 |
| Residents per square mile | 36th | 202 |
| Median household income | 17th | 198 |
| Per capita income | 40th | 202 |
| Median home value | 19th | 201 |
| Median gross rent | 19th | 187 |
| Poverty rate | 145th | 162 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29th | 200 |
| Median age | 136th | 202 |
| Owner-occupied share | 130th | 201 |
| Work from home | 41st | 185 |
| Travel time to work | 137th | 202 |
Essex's figures with every place in Vermont (CSV)
Every place in Vermont, sortable · Compare Essex 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 Essex?
16 of the 57 figures for Essex 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 Essex 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.