Town · Vermont
Fairlee, Vermont
Fairlee, town, in Orange County, Vermont. Fairlee had 1,048 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 5.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 988 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,066 (±188). GEOID 5001725675.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,048
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 988 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,066 ±188
Median household income
$74,760
±$10,174 (90% margin)
Vermont: $81,203
Median home value
$274,200
±$39,469 (90% margin)
Vermont: $316,600
Median gross rent
$1,083
±$242 (90% margin)
Vermont: $1,234
Where is Fairlee and what county is it in?
Fairlee is a town in Orange County, Vermont. It covers 20.0 square miles of land, 49 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Fairlee: Fairlee (CDP, 198 in 2020).
Fairlee is in the Lebanon-Claremont, NH-VT micropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 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 Fairlee, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,048 people lived in Fairlee on July 1, 2025, up 5.4% since 2020, faster than Vermont (+0.2%). The 2020 Census counted 988 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,066 (±188).
| Measure | Fairlee | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,066±188 | 29,761 | no clear change |
| Households | 507±107 | 12,742 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.07±0.25 | 2.29 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 649±117 | 15,078 | no clear change |
Fairlee's population since 2000
From 967 in 2000 to 1,048 in 2025: up 8.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Fairlee 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 Fairlee?
The median resident of Fairlee is 56.2 years old; 12.2% are under 18 and 33.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 3.7%.
| Measure | Fairlee | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.2±8.7 | 46.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 12.2%±3.0 pts | 17.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 33.4%±8.1 pts | 23.6% | – |
| Male | 51.8%±5.1 pts | 49.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.7%±4.2 pts | 1.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.7%±4.3 pts | 92.8% | −5.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.1%±0.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.1%±1.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.1%±2.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4%±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.5%±3.1 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 9.3%±4.9 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.3%±4.2 pts | 6.3% | – |
| With a disability | 11.6%±3.6 pts | 17.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.9%±3.9 pts | 4.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.9%±4.7 pts | 94.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 46.5%±7.9 pts | 38.4% | +14.2 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 14.8%±4.2 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.4%±3.6 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.7%±1.2 pts | 2.9% | – |
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 Fairlee earn?
Half of Fairlee's 507 households earn less than $74,760 a year (±$10,174), against $82,232 in Orange County and $81,203 in Vermont. In 2015-2019 it was $64,154 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 14.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Fairlee | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,760±$10,174 | $82,232 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $83,621±$9,165 | $102,249 | – |
| Per capita income | $40,370±$5,273 | $43,536 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 14.7%±5.5 pts | 9.3% | +6.9 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 20.0%±18.2 pts | 12.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.3%±3.8 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.8%±1.6 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.0%±7.7 pts | 88.3% | – |
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 Fairlee?
Owners occupy 80.9% of Fairlee's occupied homes and renters 19.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $274,200 by its owner (±$39,469). The median renter pays $1,083 a month including utilities, and 77.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Fairlee | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $274,200±$39,469 | $271,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,083±$242 | $1,173 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 77.0%±14.0 pts | 38.2% | +31.3 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,900±$114 | $1,747 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 80.9%±6.8 pts | 83.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 19.1%±6.8 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Housing units | 649±117 | 15,078 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±5.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.7%±11.6 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.8%±4.5 pts | 80.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.5%±0.7 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.6%±3.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.8%±2.5 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 31.7%±9.6 pts | 26.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.9%±3.3 pts | 3.9% | – |
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 Fairlee building?
Builders took permits for 5 new housing units in Fairlee in 2025 (5 in single-family houses), 4.8 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 Fairlee work and get to work?
72.8% of Fairlee's workers drive alone and 15.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.3 minutes.
| Measure | Fairlee | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.4%±6.6 pts | 63.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.7%±1.3 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.8%±10.8 pts | 69.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.1%±8.7 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±4.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 2.3%±2.2 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 15.0%±8.0 pts | 15.4% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.3 min±2.4 | 26.2 min | +4.4 min |
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 Fairlee?
1 census tract lies mostly in Fairlee (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9597Orange County | 1,777 | $75,156 |
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 Fairlee) · Census block assignment files
How does Fairlee compare with other places in Vermont?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Fairlee is the 7,455th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 154th-most populous of 237 in Vermont.
Fairlee 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 | 154th | 237 |
Fairlee's figures with every place in Vermont (CSV)
Every place in Vermont, sortable · Compare Fairlee 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 Fairlee?
21 of the 57 figures for Fairlee 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 Fairlee 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.