Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Of the 72 Vermont towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Canaan. Canaan’s concentration of trails is 1.3 miles per square mile, above both the Vermont town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Its National Register listings include Jacobs Stand. Canaan has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Canaan beats most towns.
Census counts: 19 in 1790, a low of 19 in 1790, 896 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1912.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Canaan, 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 Canaan.
Only 5 of the 72 Vermont towns we compare have a higher home-ownership rate than Canaan. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 11% in value.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by the Canaan School District. 184 students attend the town’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canaan SchoolsLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 184 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Canaan has cold, snowy winters and cool summers. July afternoons reach 75°, January nights drop to 4° and about 111 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The natural-hazard score from FEMA for Canaan comes to 66 of 100. Expected losses in Canaan break down as 79% from inland flooding and 9% from cold waves. Also worth knowing: the national flood insurance program has paid 6 claims locally since 1981.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Canaan, the typical household income is $56,000, where Vermont’s towns sit at $80,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. For most workers, Canaan is a place to come home to: only 13% work in town. The average commute locally is 20 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Canaan dropped by 25, to 261.
| Canaan | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 16% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fletcher Park | 0.4 mi | 10 |
| 2. Connecticut River Drivers Wildlife Management Area | — | 7 |
| 3. Ethan Allen Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Among 72 Vermont towns, just one has a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Canaan. The share of adults in Canaan who smoke cigarettes: 16%. The town beats the Vermont average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
| Canaan | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 32% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 16% |
| What stands out | Canaan | VT |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.7% | 76.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 10% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Canaan; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Canaan residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
3 places in Canaan on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Vermont, United States
Canaan is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 896 at the 2020 census. Canaan contains the village of Beecher Falls, located at the confluence of the Connecticut River and Halls Stream. It is part of the Berlin, NH-VT Micropolitan Statistical Area. Due to Québécois ancestry, 26% of Canaan residents speak French as their primary language, making the town one of New England's "Little Canadas." This is a decrease from 1982, when nearly 44% spoke French as their native language.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Canaan has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
