Post office boxes, 2015
Manchester Center’s story
140 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2013.
- 1886Manchester Center is settled
Manchester CenterVT
A town of 2,037, settled in 1886.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,037
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$360K
Census ACS
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
50.4
years
Jobs based here
1,874
A job hub
Is Manchester Center a good place to live?
30% of residents live below the poverty line in Manchester Center, where Vermont’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Among 72 Vermont towns, just 3 have a lower average trip to work than Manchester Center. We don’t grade Manchester Center yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes Manchester Center stand out
Where Manchester Center beats most towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,671 people come to Manchester Center for work
Where Manchester Center’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,874jobs based in Manchester Center
21%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Getting set up
Moving to Manchester Center: who provides what
Manchester Center is unincorporated, so Bennington County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerGreen Mountain Power23.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterManchester Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBennington CountyBennington County provides services here
SchoolsTaconic and Green Region School DistrictBennington Rutland Supervisory Union2 districts serve Manchester Center; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Vermont you can register online up to and including Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received by Election Day).vote.govWho runs elections hereManchester Town ClerkTown of Manchester; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2026
ZIP code0525505255 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Manchester Center.
Work & commute
Manchester Center has 2.0 jobs for every working resident, and 1,671 people commute in
About one in 5 of Manchester Center’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Manchester Center has lost 691 jobs, to 1,874 in 2023. The top destinations are Manchester (36%), Bennington (8%) and Stratton (5%).
21%work in town
Where working residents work
In Manchester Center21%
Manchester36%
Bennington8%
Stratton5%
Arlington5%
9 mi
median commute distance
1,874
jobs based in Manchester Center
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Manchester Center
Manchester Center has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 80°F, Manchester Center’s July high is close to Vermont’s towns (80°F) and below U.S. towns (85°F).
75″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–33°
Spring31–55°
Summer53–78°
Fall37–59°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Manchester Center faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 2019, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Manchester Center.
36risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
2
paid flood claims since 2019
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
An age mix much like Vermont’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Vermont average. The median age in Manchester Center is 50.4 years. 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 44% across Vermont.
50.4median age · VT 43.1
| Manchester Center | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.4 years | 43.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 40% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 22% | 18% |
Manchester CenterVermontUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school26%
Some college27%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 46% and 81% women
The Census survey reached too few of Manchester Center’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±17.3 points. Across Vermont, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Manchester Center | VT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.1% | 9.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.9% | 8.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.3% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.1% | 11.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5% | 12.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 17.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.4% | 14.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.3% | 13% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.8% | 8.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.2% | 5.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.3% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.3% | 15.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.9% | 8.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.2% | 25.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.1% | 18.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
Health
How healthy Manchester Center is
Manchester Center beats the Vermont average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 29% of Manchester Center adults have been diagnosed with depression. Only 5 of the 72 Vermont towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Manchester Center.
| Manchester Center | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Vermont
2 better25 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Manchester Center | VT |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 74.3% | 69.2% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 88.6% | 85.9% |
| More adults with arthritis | 32.2% | 27.8% |
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
23.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
5.8% of Manchester Center is conserved land
4.5 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Manchester Center’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile.
5.8%conserved
| Manchester Center | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.8% | 14% | 4.3% |
5.8%
conserved · 173 of 2,953 acres
4.5 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Factory Point Town Green | 0.1 mi | 1 |
| 2. Skinner Point Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
$485Kmedian sale price
4
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 92 attractions →Lake George and 43 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Manchester Center. Close and well known come first.
40 mi LakeLake George
39 mi MountainMount Greylock
38 mi LandmarkFort William Henry
35 mi Theme parkGreat Escape
9 mi Ski areaStratton Mountain Resort106 runs · 1,899 ft vertical
32 mi Ski areaKillington Resort184 runs · 3,031 ft verticalSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake George: Sixlocal, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Fort William Henry: IrisKawling at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Great Escape: Jared and Corin, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Stratton Mountain Resort: Rudi Riet from Washington, DC, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Killington Resort: NHRHS2010, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Manchester Center
17pages on Manchester Center
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Manchester Center; the nearest are
Bennington CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bennington21.2 mi$66,262 tuitionSUNY AdirondackCommunity college · Public · Queensbury, NY33.2 mi$6,844 in-state tuitionMassachusetts College of Liberal ArtsUniversity or college · Public · North Adams, MA34.5 mi$12,436 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Manchester Center residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
About Manchester Center
Census-designated place in Vermont, United States
Manchester Center is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Manchester in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, Manchester Center had a population of 2,145.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 745 ft
- ZIP code
- 05255
Manchester Center’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Manchester Center.
ManchesterManchester Center
How the neighbors grade
| Town | VT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester Center | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Manchester | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Manchester Center and Manchester aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Manchester Center with a neighbor →
Questions about Manchester Center
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Manchester Center, VT a good place to live?
We don’t grade Manchester Center yet; the figures below are still real.