Town · Vermont
Rochester, Vermont
Rochester, town, in Windsor County, Vermont. Rochester had 1,073 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,099 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,389 (±257). GEOID 5002760100.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,073
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,099 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,389 ±257
Median household income
$72,676
±$8,052 (90% margin)
Vermont: $81,203
Median home value
$253,600
±$80,524 (90% margin)
Vermont: $316,600
Median gross rent
$929
±$158 (90% margin)
Vermont: $1,234
Where is Rochester and what county is it in?
Rochester is a town in Windsor County, Vermont. It covers 56.8 square miles of land, 19 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Rochester: Rochester (CDP, 321 in 2020).
Rochester 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 Rochester, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,073 people lived in Rochester on July 1, 2025, down 2.3% since 2020, while Vermont grew 0.2%. The 2020 Census counted 1,099 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,389 (±257).
| Measure | Rochester | Windsor County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,389±257 | 57,990 | +324 |
| Households | 713±132 | 25,293 | +186 |
| Average household size | 1.93±0.19 | 2.26 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 983±130 | 34,846 | no clear change |
Rochester's population since 2000
From 1,171 in 2000 to 1,073 in 2025: down 8.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Rochester 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 Rochester?
The median resident of Rochester is 53.3 years old; 10.4% are under 18 and 31.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 2.2%. 3.6% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Rochester | Windsor County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.3±7.6 | 47.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 10.4%±3.9 pts | 17.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 31.5%±8.2 pts | 25.5% | – |
| Male | 46.6%±4.7 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.2%±2.7 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.7%±3.3 pts | 92.1% | −4.0 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.2%±1.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.9%±1.2 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.6%±2.0 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.3%±3.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.4%±7.5 pts | 7.0% | – |
| With a disability | 13.0%±5.8 pts | 15.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.2%±1.8 pts | 3.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.9%±2.4 pts | 94.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 49.0%±12.1 pts | 42.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 16.8%±6.8 pts | 18.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.6%±3.9 pts | 89.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.9%±2.8 pts | 4.1% | – |
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 Rochester earn?
Half of Rochester's 713 households earn less than $72,676 a year (±$8,052), against $77,594 in Windsor County and $81,203 in Vermont. In 2015-2019 the median was $61,644 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $11,032 after inflation. 18.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Rochester | Windsor County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,676±$8,052 | $77,594 | +$11,032 |
| Mean household income | $100,126±$22,261 | $109,025 | – |
| Per capita income | $51,750±$10,632 | $48,626 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 18.5%±9.3 pts | 9.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 45.1%±32.9 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.6%±3.7 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.1%±6.8 pts | 95.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 81.8%±8.4 pts | 90.1% | – |
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 Rochester?
Owners occupy 86.1% of Rochester's occupied homes and renters 13.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $253,600 by its owner (±$80,524). The median renter pays $929 a month including utilities, and 46.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Rochester | Windsor County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $253,600±$80,524 | $296,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $929±$158 | $1,118 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 46.2%±23.6 pts | 32.6% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,727±$326 | $1,850 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.1%±6.3 pts | 74.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.9%±6.3 pts | 25.2% | – |
| Housing units | 983±130 | 34,846 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±4.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.8%±8.5 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 83.3%±5.4 pts | 70.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.9%±1.9 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1%±1.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.0%±3.4 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 30.4%±8.4 pts | 27.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.2%±4.0 pts | 6.1% | – |
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 Rochester building?
Builders took permits for 4 new housing units in Rochester in 2025 (4 in single-family houses), 3.7 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 Rochester work and get to work?
52.8% of Rochester's workers drive alone and 40.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.4 minutes.
| Measure | Rochester | Windsor County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.1%±8.3 pts | 61.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3%±4.4 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 52.8%±19.2 pts | 67.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 1.1%±1.7 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±3.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 5.3%±3.9 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 40.8%±20.6 pts | 17.9% | +35.5 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.4 min±3.7 | 22.9 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 Rochester?
No census tract lies mostly in Rochester; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9668Windsor County | 3,125 | $73,652 |
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 Rochester) · Census block assignment files
How does Rochester compare with other places in Vermont?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Rochester is the 7,361st-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 149th-most populous of 237 in Vermont.
Rochester ranks 124th 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 | 149th | 237 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 145th | 173 |
| Residents per square mile | 201st | 202 |
| Median household income | 124th | 198 |
| Per capita income | 44th | 202 |
| Median home value | 132nd | 201 |
| Median gross rent | 152nd | 187 |
| Poverty rate | 18th | 162 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55th | 200 |
| Median age | 19th | 202 |
| Owner-occupied share | 58th | 201 |
| Work from home | 1st | 185 |
| Travel time to work | 64th | 202 |
Rochester's figures with every place in Vermont (CSV)
Every place in Vermont, sortable · Compare Rochester 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 Rochester?
18 of the 57 figures for Rochester 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 Rochester 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.