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 mean commuting time 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.

Jobs vs. working residents

Jobs here1,874

Residents who work951

Work

2 jobs for every working resident

A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 93% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023.

Post office boxes, 2015

Manchester Center’s story

140 years in pictures

The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 4 maps from 1894 on.

1886Manchester Center is settled

Explore the history →

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

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

21%work in town

In Manchester Center, about one in five 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%). Half of commuters travel less than 9 miles.

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

Full pageManchester Center’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

The jobs here1,874 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work21% work in Manchester Center Commute times16 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 9 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Manchester Center

75″snow a winter

Expect July afternoons of 80° and January nights of 11°, with about 75 inches of 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

Full pageManchester Center’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

A year of weatherJuly highs 80°, January lows 11°Rain & snow75″ of snow a winter · 45 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.7° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

The biggest natural risk in Manchester Center is inland flooding, at a low overall level

36risk score of 100

Expected losses in Manchester Center break down as 62% from inland flooding and 27% from cold waves. Since 2019, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out locally. The FEMA risk score in the town is 36 of 100.

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCold waves

paid flood claims since 2019

Full pageManchester Center’s hazards pageOpen the full Hazards page

What it facesLow risk Flood claimsSince 2019 Past disasters18 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready1.6 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Who lives here

Manchester Center looks like Vermont by age

50.4median age · VT 43.1

The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 34%, against 44% across Vermont. By age, Manchester Center looks like Vermont: each broad group is within 4 points. The town’s midpoint age comes in at 50.4 years.

	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

VTU.S.

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.

Ages and education in Manchester Center
	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%

Full pageManchester Center by the numbersOpen the full page

Ages50.4 median age · 20% are 65 or older Schooling34% have a four-year degree Homes72% own their home · Homeowners Income$55K a year · Median household income

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: 33% of adults sleep under 7 hours. Against the Vermont average, Manchester Center comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 31, and behind on 4. Only 7 of the 72 Vermont towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression 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

Full pageManchester Center’s health reportOpen the full Health report

Everyday habitsMore adults sleeping under 7 hours Hospitals & doctors nearby23.4 miles to an ER · Southwestern Vermont Medical Center How adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distress Every CDC estimateBetter than VT on 2 of 31

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

5.8% of Manchester Center is conserved land

5.8%conserved

Across 2 parks and preserves: 4.5 miles of trail. In Manchester Center, the density of trails is 1.0 miles per square mile.

	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

Full pageManchester Center’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Trail map4.5 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk0.1 miles of trail · Factory Point Town Green Conserved land5.8% conserved · 173 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Manchester Center?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Housing

The median home in Manchester Center sells for about $668K

$668Kmedian sale price

Manchester Center’s rent at the middle of the market stands at $1,023 a month. The share of households in Manchester Center who own their home: 72%.

	Manchester Center	Vermont towns	U.S. towns
Median rent	$1,023 a month	$1,135 a month	$1,185 a month
Households that own their home	72%	75%	73%

homes sold in September

Full pageManchester Center’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the full Housing & cost-of-living page

Prices over the yearsPrices over the years Years of income to buyA typical home costs 12.2 years of income Rents$1,023 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighbors1 bordering town

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Manchester Center

17pages on Manchester Center

The big questions

HealthBetter than VT on 2 of 31 CDC measures Cost of livingWork & commute$55K median household income · 1,874 jobs here Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 36% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

Outdoors5 mi of trails · 6% conserved land PlacesAttractions92 nearby · American Museum of Fly Fishing 2 mi LibraryManchester Community Library Colleges

The story

HistorySettled 1886 Famous people1 born in Manchester Center Climate80° summer highs · 75″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 05255 Town SquareNeighbors

Nearby 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.

All 92 attractions →

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 vertical

Sources: 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

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 District Bennington 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.gov

Who 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.

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 tuition SUNY AdirondackCommunity college · Public · Queensbury, NY33.2 mi$6,844 in-state tuition Massachusetts 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.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

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)