Vermont Population 2023

The northeastern US state of Vermont is the 45th largest in the country by area and the 49th largest by population -- the only state with fewer people is Wyoming. Vermont's population has seen a slight decline over the past few years, currently shrinking at .12% per year.

The last official US census was carried out in 2010 and this confirmed that the population of Vermont at the time was 625,741 which represented a modest 2.8% rise on the figures declared at the Census of 2000.

Vermont Area and Population Density

Despite its small size and population, it does make good use of its space with a population density that ranks 30th in the country. Vermont has a very tiny surface area of just 9,614 square miles, but for every square mile of Vermont territory, there is an average of 67.9 people, making Vermont the 30th most densely populated state in the entire country.

There are no major urban areas in Vermont, which is not surprising given its small overall population. Vermont has only 9 incorporated cities, and only three of them have a population of more than 10,000. Burlington is the state’s largest city, home to just over 42,000 people. The second largest city is South Burlington (pop: 18,791). Together the two cities, combined with a number of other towns and cities, make up the Burlington Metropolitan area, containing more than 200,000 people.

The state capital, Montpelier, is only Vermont’s fifth largest city. It has an estimated 7,592 residents. Interestingly, Vermont is the only state in the country that does not have a single building taller than 124 feet (38 meters).

The two most populated counties within the state of Vermont are Chittenden County and Rutland county, with respective populations of 162,372 and 59,087.

Vermont Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age across the population of Vermont is approximately 42.6 years of age. In terms of the sex ratio among the population, 50.7% are females and 49.3% are males.

In terms of religious preferences across the population of the state, 54% are affiliated with a Christian based faith, 8% are affiliated with non-Christian based faiths, and a whopping 37% are not affiliated with any religion in particular.

It's also interesting to note that Vermont is considered the least religious state in the country with only 23% of residents considering themselves "very religious," and it has the fifth highest percentage of divorced people in the country.

Vermont Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

In 1777 Vermont declared itself separate from New Hampshire and New York, but both continued to claim it. After New York withdrew its claims, Vermont was admitted as a State on March 4, 1791 with essentially its present boundaries. Vermont's 1790 census actually took place after statehood in 1791. Census coverage included virtually all settled portions of the State.

Vermont Population History

Like most areas on the eastern side of the US, Vermont had a healthy population in the latter part of the 18th century, and by 1790 there were already 85,425 people living in the Green Mountain State.

Just ten years later in 1800, that figure had grown by over 80% to 154,465, and by 1810, numbers had exceeded 200,000 for the very first time.

Unlike some other states, however, growth slowed down considerably from this point onwards, and in fact, there have been two censuses in history (1920 and 1940) that have revealed a drop in the Vermont population on a decade by decade basis.

The overall picture is one of very slow growth and Vermont's current population has still not broken 650,000.

Vermont Population Growth

Figures relating to natural growth in Vermont reveal some healthy statistics, and in 2005, the US Census Bureau released some findings in this respect. These showed that in the five years since the 2000 census, there had been an increase of 7,148 people due to 33,606 births minus 26,458 deaths, and furthermore, there had been a rise due to net migration of 7,889 people into Vermont.

Unfortunately, Vermont's previously healthy growth became stagnant, dropping from double-digit climbs from the 1970s through the 1990s to reach its current growth rate of just 0.02%.

According to Vermont's former governor, the biggest challenge facing the state's economy is not high taxes, reform of health care, or government bureaucracy but simply its long-term demographic trends, which show that Vermont's labor force is shrinking steadily.

Vermont has a median age of the workforce of 42.3, which is the highest in the nation. Combine this with the low birthrate and very little migration into the state and it's not hard to see why Vermont's population is growing so slowly.

Vermont Population Projections

Estimates show that Vermont's total population growth rate will remain positive for some time, although declines may be seen in the future. It's currently projected that Vermont's population may break the 650,000 mark by 2020.

Vermont is one of ten states that has a population that is mostly white. It is just one of ten states to have a percentage of non-Hispanic whites that exceeds 90%. It has the second highest percentage in the nation -- only falling behind Maine. Vermont has the second lowest percentage of African Americans; only Montana has a lower percentage.

It also has the third lowest percentage of Hispanic residents, behind West Virginia and Maine. Vermont has the second oldest median age, which presents a real problem in terms of growth. In terms of its Asian American population, the state ranks 38th out of 50 states based on percentage of Asians compared to Vermont's total population.

The most common ancestry groups include French or French Canadian (23.9%), English (18.6%), Irish (17.9%), German (10.3%), Italian (7.5%), American (7.0%) and Scottish (5.0%).

• Montpelier, which has a population under 10,000, is the smallest state capital in the United States.
• Vermont is considered one of the least racially diverse states in the country, with over 90% of its residents classified as White.
• Vermont is just one of four states that do not permit advertising on billboards.
• Vermont is the largest marble producer in the entire country.
• The state has the least amount of violent crimes in the United States.
• Vermont was the first state to outlaw adult slavery.