Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,326, settled in 1792.
Johnson’s best subject grades are an A for walkability and an A− for health and the outdoors; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 6% of residents are 65 or older in Johnson, below both Vermont’s towns (22%) and U.S. towns (18%). Only 2 of Vermont’s 172 towns score lower on incomes. Johnson's public schools trail 94% of Vermont towns on state tests and graduation. 2% of the land in Johnson is conserved, below Vermont’s towns (14%) and close to U.S. towns (4.3%). Johnson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Johnson beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Johnson | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.3% | 9.9% |
Census counts: 93 in 1790, 3,491 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1868 and 4 maps from 1930 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Vermont), ordered by how far Johnson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Johnson, 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 Johnson.
20% of adults have high blood pressure in Johnson. No town among the 72 in Vermont we compare has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Johnson. 5.4% of adults have diabetes in Johnson.
| Johnson | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 32% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 76% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 27% | 23% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 5.4% | 9.1% | 12% |
| What stands out | Johnson | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.3% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 3.7% | 6.3% |
| More binge drinkers | 21.7% | 16.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median household income in Johnson is $49,000. Of the 72 Vermont towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Johnson. Since 2013, Johnson has lost 109 jobs, to 140 in 2023.
| Johnson | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 16% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Johnson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Johnson’s July high is 78°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Johnson home is worth about $335,000, down 3.2% in a year, 15% below the Vermont typical home. 33% of Johnson households own their home.
| Johnson | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 33% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $947 a month | $1,135 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 38 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Johnson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Old Mill Park | 0.4 mi | 13 |
| 2. Lower Pond | 0.3 mi | 9 |
| 3. Mineart Athletics Fields | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Johnson. Close and well known come first.
Big draw33 mi LakeLake Champlain
9 mi MountainMount Mansfield
9 mi Ski areaStowe Mountain Resort144 runs · 2,390 ft vertical
38 mi TheatreHaskell Free Library and Opera House
6 mi Ski areaSmugglers' Notch Resort110 runs · 2,533 ft vertical
31 mi LakeLake WilloughbyLake Champlain: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Mount Mansfield: Original uploader was Calzarette (Joe Calzarette) at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Stowe Mountain Resort: Stevage, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Haskell Free Library and Opera House: Thomsonmg2000, CC0 · Smugglers' Notch Resort: Jrclark (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Willoughby: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Johnson
College town 21 of every 100 Johnson residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
5 notable people were born in Johnson.
Town in Vermont, United States
Johnson is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,491 at the 2020 census. The town is home to Northern Vermont University-Johnson, a part the Vermont State Colleges system. The Vermont Studio Center is located in the village of Johnson. Since 1842, the town has been the home to Johnson Woolen Mills.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 4.5 years of the area's median household income ($74,908 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
5 notable people were born here, including Julian Scott and Charles H. Stearns.
