Chittenden County, Vermont: commercial real estate data.
Chittenden County, Vermont has a population of 169,758 across 537 square miles, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $16.40 bn in 2024, 5,665 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 313 7(a) approvals worth $104.3 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Chittenden County
How many people live in Chittenden County
- Population169,758
- Households71,456
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$96,759
- Median age37.3
- Median gross rent$1,646 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$439,200
- Home value to household income4.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher56.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree24.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over114,817
- Population under 1829,153
- Share under 1817.2 percent
- Population 65 and over28,714
- Share 65 and over16.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64111,891
- Civilian labor force101,136
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.9 percent
- Rank by population among Vermont counties1st of 14
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents403rd
Chittenden County is the 1st largest of 14 Vermont counties by population. A median home costs 4.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 17.2 percent against 16.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Chittenden County
Is Chittenden County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.49 percent
- Census 2020 base population168,340
- Births, 20241,300
- Deaths, 20241,330
- Natural change, 2024-30
- Net domestic migration, 2024-280
- Net international migration, 20241,064
- Total net migration, 2024784
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,268
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1338th
The county has grown 1.49 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Chittenden County
Where people moving to Chittenden County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,775
- People arriving, from those returns6,939
- Adjusted gross income arriving$422.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$88,404
- Largest single originChittenden County Non-migrants (69,930 households)
- Largest single destination (69,930 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chittenden County Non-migrants | 69,930 | 128,130 | $7.61 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,000 | 3,045 | $184.3 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 683 | 974 | $64.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 667 | 1,045 | $56.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 388 | 634 | $44.2 m |
| Franklin County | 319 | 505 | $18.3 m |
| Washington County | 290 | 375 | $19.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 262 | 392 | $18.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Chittenden County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Chittenden County
What the Chittenden County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$16.40 bn
- County GDP, 2023$15.55 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.5 percent
- GDP change over five years36.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Vermont counties1st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents307th
- GDP per resident$96,629
Output grew 5.5 percent in the latest year and 36.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Chittenden County
Who employs people in Chittenden County
- Covered employment, annual average103,301
- Establishments reporting9,418
- Average annual pay$73,186
- Average weekly wage$1,407
- Sector 62, employment17,558
- Sector 62, average annual pay$76,247
- Sector 44-45, employment11,152
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$43,817
- Sector 54, employment9,010
- Sector 54, average annual pay$123,463
- Sector 31-33, employment8,777
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$82,372
- Sector 72, employment8,475
- Sector 23, employment5,304
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 17,558 | 669 | $76,247 |
| Sector 44-45 | 11,152 | 752 | $43,817 |
| Sector 54 | 9,010 | 2,436 | $123,463 |
| Sector 31-33 | 8,777 | 270 | $82,372 |
| Sector 72 | 8,475 | 488 | $30,636 |
| Sector 23 | 5,304 | 639 | $79,234 |
| Sector 56 | 5,037 | 832 | $68,589 |
| Sector 42 | 3,627 | 532 | $93,092 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 17,558 jobs, 17.0 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Chittenden County
What businesses operate in Chittenden County
- Establishments, all industries5,665
- Employment at those establishments88,131
- Annual payroll$5.68 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Chittenden County
What is being built in Chittenden County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024880
- Declared construction value permitted$217.5 m
- Single family units authorised282
- Multifamily units authorised598
- Multifamily share of units68.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$247,215
- Units authorised per 1,000 households12.3
Multifamily is 68.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Chittenden County
How much SBA lending happens in Chittenden County
- 7(a) approvals recorded313
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$104.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$333,354
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,000,000
- Largest single approval$4,140,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,333
- Jobs per approval7.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active45
- Distinct industries receiving approvals137
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms20
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter283
- Franchise loans12
- Franchise share of approvals3.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (15)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (53)
- 504 approvals recorded98
- 504 gross approval dollars$63.0 m
- Average 504 approval$642,367
- Median 504 approval$395,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval7.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.1
- Most active CDCGranite State Economic Development Corporation (80)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals76.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$167.3 m
The average approval of $333,354 sits well above the median of $100,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 6.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chittenden County
Do SBA loans in Chittenden County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded100
- Paid in full97
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans3.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full97
- Status: Exempt from disclosure167
- Status: Cancelled23
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed23
Of the 100 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chittenden County
Which parts of Chittenden County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending21
- Burlington, approvals62
- ESSEX JUNCTION, approvals51
- SOUTH BURLINGTON, approvals49
- Williston, approvals44
- Shelburne, approvals19
- WINOOSKI, approvals15
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 62 | $22,833,800 |
| ESSEX JUNCTION | 51 | $8,827,800 |
| SOUTH BURLINGTON | 49 | $18,428,600 |
| Williston | 44 | $25,290,100 |
| Shelburne | 19 | $7,154,200 |
| WINOOSKI | 15 | $2,161,500 |
| Milton | 14 | $8,028,700 |
| COLCHESTER | 13 | $6,924,100 |
Burlington accounts for 62 approvals against 51 in ESSEX JUNCTION. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chittenden County
How big is Chittenden County
- Land area537 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Vermont counties12th of 14
- Width, east to west27.5 mi
- Height, north to south38.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land316
- Establishments per square mile10.55
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Chittenden County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Chittenden County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population169,758
- Households71,456
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$96,759
- Median age37.3
Common questions
Chittenden County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Chittenden County, Vermont?
169,758, in 71,456 households, ranking 1st of 14 Vermont counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Chittenden County growing?
The population has grown 1.49 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,300 births against 1,330 deaths, with net migration of 784. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Chittenden County?
$96,759. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $439,200, which is 4.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,646 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Chittenden County?
5,665 establishments, employing 88,131 people with an annual payroll of $5.68 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Chittenden County?
Average annual pay is $73,186, or $1,407 a week, across 103,301 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Chittenden County?
313 7(a) approvals totalling $104.3 m since FY2020, across 45 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 98 504 approvals worth $63.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Chittenden County get paid back?
Of the 100 loans that have reached a final outcome, 97 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 3.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Chittenden County?
880 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $217.5 m. Multifamily was 68.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Chittenden County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Chittenden County come from?
The largest single origin is Chittenden County Non-migrants, with 69,930 households. Arriving households report an average income of $88,404 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Chittenden County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Chittenden County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.