County Data

Vermont County Distress Index

Financial distress scores for all 14 counties in Vermont, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 35.1.

Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26

Vermont Snapshot

14 Counties Scored
35.1 Mean Score
35.4 Median Score
43.3 Rutland County Most Distressed
26.7 Addison County Least Distressed
8 Normal 6 Healthy
Zone Distribution

Vermont County Map

Loading interactive map…

Healthy Normal Elevated Serious Crisis

All 14 Vermont counties colored by distress zone. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.

Most & Least Distressed

Most Distressed

#1 Rutland County
43.3 Normal
Housing Cost Burden
#2 Bennington County
43.0 Normal
Housing Cost Burden
#3 Orleans County
40.9 Normal
Housing Cost Burden

Least Distressed

#14 Addison County
26.7 Healthy
Housing Cost Burden
#13 Washington County
27.5 Healthy
Housing Cost Burden
#12 Lamoille County
28.6 Healthy
Housing Cost Burden

Score Distribution

How Vermont's 14 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.

All Vermont Counties

14 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.

State Rank Nat'l Rank County Score Zone Primary Driver
1 2,001 Rutland County 43.3 Normal Housing Cost Burden
2 2,014 Bennington County 43.0 Normal Housing Cost Burden
3 2,138 Orleans County 40.9 Normal Housing Cost Burden
4 2,215 Caledonia County 39.6 Normal Housing Cost Burden
5 2,364 Windham County 37.0 Normal Economic Vitality
6 2,370 Franklin County 36.9 Normal Economic Vitality
7 2,454 Grand Isle County 35.4 Normal Economic Vitality
8 2,455 Essex County 35.4 Normal Structural Poverty
9 2,572 Orange County 33.2 Healthy Housing Cost Burden
10 2,639 Chittenden County 32.2 Healthy Housing Cost Burden
11 2,695 Windsor County 31.1 Healthy Housing Cost Burden
12 2,819 Lamoille County 28.6 Healthy Housing Cost Burden
13 2,869 Washington County 27.5 Healthy Housing Cost Burden
14 2,903 Addison County 26.7 Healthy Housing Cost Burden

How County Scores Work

Each county is scored 0–100 using PCA-weighted percentile-rank scoring across five statistically derived dimensions: Consumer Credit Distress, Housing Cost Burden, Structural Poverty, Economic Vitality, and Legal Distress. A score of 50 means the county falls at the national median. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.

Crisis (≥80) — Among the most distressed counties in the country
Serious (65–80) — More distressed than roughly 80% of counties
Elevated (50–65) — More distressed than roughly half of counties
Normal (35–50) — Near the national median
Healthy (<35) — Less distressed than most counties

Full CDI methodology and data sources

Vermont Resources

Vermont State Profile

State ADI score: 34.5 (Healthy). Debt, delinquency, and economic indicators for Vermont.

Find Help in Vermont

HUD-approved housing counselors, legal aid offices, credit counselors, and debtor education providers in Vermont.

Vermont Foreclosure Laws

Foreclosure process, timeline, homeowner protections, and legal resources in Vermont.

State Distress Rankings

All 51 U.S. jurisdictions ranked by financial distress. Compare Vermont to the rest of the country.

National County Profiles

All 3,144 U.S. counties ranked by financial distress score.
🛟
If you're struggling with debt or facing foreclosure, free help is available. Find help near you · Browse the Glossary · The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides HUD-approved housing counselors at no cost. You can also call 1-800-569-4287.