Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,948, chartered in 1763. A regional job hub with 4,732 jobs.
Berlin's crime rate is higher than 100% of U.S. towns, with 36 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Overall it grades C, ranked 48th of 71 in Vermont. Residents are healthier than 89% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Berlin’s violent crime rate is 12.5 per 1,000 residents, above both Vermont’s towns (1.6) and U.S. towns (1.6). No town in Vermont scores lower than Berlin on safety. Berlin has 3 places on the National Register.
Where Berlin beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 684 in 1800, a low of 684 in 1800, 2,849 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1845 and 4 maps from 1924 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Vermont), ordered by how far Berlin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Berlin, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Berlin.
Berlin draws workers from Barre and beyond and has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it reports violent crime at 6 times the Vermont rate.
Violent crime runs at 12.5 per 1,000 residents, 6 times the Vermont rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. Each of the 3 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Barre (D) to Northfield (A). Reported crimes rose from 305 to 376 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Berlin is 117.9 per 1,000 residents. Berlin reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 100% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Washington Central Unified Union School District #92. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 182 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VT on state tests and graduation
4,732 jobs are based in Berlin, 3.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most working residents leave Berlin for work: only 14% work in town. Berlin’s average trip to work is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Montpelier (15%), Barre (9%) and Burlington (6%).
| Berlin | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 16% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within Vermont it is healthier than 63% of the 71 graded towns: Vermont sets a high bar.
25% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Berlin. Berlin beats the Vermont average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 27% of adults have obesity in Berlin.
| Berlin | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 30% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 76% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Berlin | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 24.8% | 28.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dog River Recreation Area | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Northfield weather station records that about 6 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Berlin has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to 7° and about 76 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 57 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Berlin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
88% of Berlin households own their home.
| Berlin | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,169 a month | $1,133 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Berlin. Close and well known come first.
26 mi MountainMount Mansfield
15 mi Ski areaSugarbush Resort142 runs · 2,569 ft vertical
25 mi Ski areaStowe Mountain Resort144 runs · 2,390 ft vertical
15 mi Ski areaMad River Glen77 runs · 1,998 ft vertical
28 mi National forestGreen Mountain National Forest
33 mi MuseumShelburne MuseumMount Mansfield: Original uploader was Calzarette (Joe Calzarette) at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Sugarbush Resort: Mrtrek1701 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Stowe Mountain Resort: Stevage, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mad River Glen: Jrclark (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Green Mountain National Forest: Brian W. Schaller, FAL · Shelburne Museum: Storylanding, CC0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Berlin
About 4 of every 100 Berlin residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
Where Berlin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Berlin on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Berlin.
Town in Vermont, United States
Berlin ( BUR-lin) is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States, founded in 1763. The population was 2,849 at the 2020 census. Being the town between Barre and Montpelier, the two largest cities in the region, much of the commercial business of the region can be found in Berlin, including parts of the Barre-Montpelier Road (U.S. Route 302), and the Berlin Mall.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
8 towns share a border with Berlin.
| Town | VT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | #48 | C | C+ | D− | B+ | A |
| Montpelier | #30 | B | D | C− | A− | A+ |
| Middlesex | — | — | C | — | B+ | A+ |
| East Montpelier | #11 | A− | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Moretown | — | — | B | — | A | A+ |
| Northfield | #34 | B− | C | A | D− | A− |
| Barre · Barre | #71 | D | C+ | D | D | B− |
| Williamstown | #59 | C− | C | — | D− | B+ |
Middlesex and Moretown have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Middlesex, East Montpelier, Moretown and Williamstown report no FBI crime data of their own. Barre and Barre are one community, graded once. Compare Berlin with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Berlin grades C overall, better than 34% of U.S. towns and #48 of 71 in Vermont. It grades A for health, D− for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 4.8 years of the area's median household income ($83,449 across the Barre, VT area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
Berlin was chartered in 1763 and has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 5 notable people were born here, including Chauncey L. Knapp and David Ball.
