Town · Vermont
Wells, Vermont
Wells, town, in Rutland County, Vermont. Wells had 1,195 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,214 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,148 (±246). GEOID 5002177950.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,195
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,214 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,148 ±246
Median household income
$75,417
±$11,001 (90% margin)
Vermont: $81,203
Median home value
$243,000
±$42,024 (90% margin)
Vermont: $316,600
Median gross rent
$1,313
±$282 (90% margin)
Vermont: $1,234
Where is Wells and what county is it in?
Wells is a town in Rutland County, Vermont. It covers 22.3 square miles of land, 54 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Wells: Wells (CDP, 386 in 2020).
Wells is in the Rutland, VT micropolitan statistical area (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 Wells, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,195 people lived in Wells on July 1, 2025, down 1.3% since 2020, while Vermont grew 0.2%. The 2020 Census counted 1,214 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,148 (±246).
| Measure | Wells | Rutland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,148±246 | 60,425 | no clear change |
| Households | 467±97 | 25,321 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.46±0.28 | 2.31 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 865±141 | 33,991 | no clear change |
Wells's population since 2000
From 1,121 in 2000 to 1,195 in 2025: up 6.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Wells 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 Wells?
The median resident of Wells is 50.7 years old; 15.1% are under 18 and 24.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 5.8%.
| Measure | Wells | Rutland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.7±5.2 | 47.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 15.1%±4.7 pts | 17.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 24.5%±6.2 pts | 24.7% | – |
| Male | 52.0%±4.2 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.8%±5.1 pts | 2.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.4%±7.8 pts | 92.7% | −8.8 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.8%±6.8 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±2.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.5%±2.5 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.9%±1.9 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.1%±2.4 pts | 7.6% | – |
| With a disability | 15.6%±5.3 pts | 15.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.7%±3.9 pts | 3.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.2%±3.3 pts | 94.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.7%±7.8 pts | 35.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 15.0%±5.0 pts | 14.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 97.2%±2.7 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.0%±2.6 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 Wells earn?
Half of Wells's 467 households earn less than $75,417 a year (±$11,001), against $68,616 in Rutland County and $81,203 in Vermont. In 2015-2019 it was $85,123 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Wells | Rutland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,417±$11,001 | $68,616 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $106,810±$15,445 | $92,636 | – |
| Per capita income | $45,892±$7,335 | $40,823 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.5%±6.3 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 10.1%±12.4 pts | 11.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.9%±4.4 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.2%±6.4 pts | 92.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.1%±7.0 pts | 87.0% | – |
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 Wells?
Owners occupy 93.4% of Wells's occupied homes and renters 6.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $243,000 by its owner (±$42,024). The median renter pays $1,313 a month including utilities, and 62.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Wells | Rutland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $243,000±$42,024 | $229,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,313±$282 | $1,000 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 62.5%±33.0 pts | 41.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,552±$189 | $1,666 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 93.4%±5.1 pts | 75.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 6.6%±5.1 pts | 24.9% | – |
| Housing units | 865±141 | 33,991 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 7.1%±6.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±46.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 91.3%±3.6 pts | 68.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.4%±2.9 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.8%±0.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.3%±4.6 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 14.8%±5.1 pts | 31.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0%±5.2 pts | 6.4% | – |
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 do people in Wells work and get to work?
83.1% of Wells's workers drive alone and 11.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 47.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.4%.
| Measure | Wells | Rutland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.4%±6.5 pts | 58.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4%±4.0 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.1%±6.7 pts | 79.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.1%±4.6 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±4.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 1.5%±2.6 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.3%±6.2 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 47.5 min±19.5 | 23.0 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 Wells?
No census tract lies mostly in Wells; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9638Rutland County | 4,158 | $73,301 |
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 Wells) · Census block assignment files
How does Wells compare with other places in Vermont?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Wells is the 6,914th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 141st-most populous of 237 in Vermont.
Wells ranks 113th 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 | 141st | 237 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 115th | 173 |
| Residents per square mile | 124th | 202 |
| Median household income | 113th | 198 |
| Per capita income | 82nd | 202 |
| Median home value | 138th | 201 |
| Median gross rent | 52nd | 187 |
| Poverty rate | 32nd | 162 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 158th | 200 |
| Median age | 42nd | 202 |
| Owner-occupied share | 15th | 201 |
| Work from home | 143rd | 185 |
| Travel time to work | 1st | 202 |
Wells's figures with every place in Vermont (CSV)
Every place in Vermont, sortable · Compare Wells 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 Wells?
19 of the 57 figures for Wells 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 Wells 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.