Chittenden County vs Washington County
Chittenden County, Vermont versus Washington County, Vermont: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Chittenden County and Washington County score about the same overall (45 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Chittenden County | Washington County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $89k | $77k |
| Cost of Living | $68k | $60k |
| Home Value | $378k | $278k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.69% | 1.97% |
| Income Tax | 8.63% | 8.60% |
| Sales Tax | 6.36% | 6.36% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 17.89% | 17.79% |
| Unemployment | 3.9% | 3.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 20°F | 17°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 71°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.4 in | 43.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 92.2 in | 103.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 207 days | 207 days |
| Summer Humidity | 58°F | 58°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 67 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 63.9 | 52.2 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | — |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 587/100k | 760/100k |
| Property Crime | 2930/100k | 1087/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 168,309 | 59,768 |
| Median Age | 36.7 | 43.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.22 | 0.11 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+56 | D+48 |
| White (%) | 87.0% | 93.0% |
| Black (%) | 2.5% | 0.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 2.5% | 2.0% |
| Asian (%) | 3.9% | 0.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.1% | 3.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 10.6/20 | 9.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 174 mi | 153 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.7% | 89.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 6.95 | 8.70 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Chittenden County or Washington County more affordable?
- Washington County has the lower cost of living: its index is $60k, compared with Chittenden County's $68k and Washington County's $60k. Median rent is $2k in Chittenden County versus $1k in Washington County.
- Is Chittenden County or Washington County safer?
- Chittenden County has the lower violent crime rate. Chittenden County reports 587/100k and Washington County reports 760/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Chittenden County or Washington County?
- The median home value is $378k in Chittenden County and $278k in Washington County, so homes are more affordable in Washington County.