Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Middlebury grades B+ overall, 22nd among Vermont's 71 graded towns. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 98% of U.S. towns. Residents are healthier than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $446K, 5 years of the county’s $90K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 10 places on the National Register. 56% of working residents work locally in Middlebury, above both the Vermont town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Only 2 of Vermont’s 172 towns score higher on hazard risk. Middlebury's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Where Middlebury beats most towns.
Emma Willard House
Emma Willard House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 395 in 1790, 9,152 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 3 maps from 1903 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Vermont), ordered by how far Middlebury is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Middlebury, 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 Middlebury.
Middlebury is shaped by its college students, draws workers from Brandon and beyond and fares better on crime within Vermont than nationally.
79 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. Middlebury’s trail density is 2.0 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Green Mountain National Forest, 3,370 acres with 11.8 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Green Mountain National Forest | 11.8 mi | 3,370 |
| 2. Battell Woods Natural Area | 5.1 mi | 94 |
| 3. Means Woods Natural Area | 1.1 mi | 28 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Addison Central Unified Union School District #55. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Middlebury Union High School, with 525 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Hogan SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 484 | A− |
| Middlebury Union High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 525 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VT on state tests and graduation
7,797 jobs are based in Middlebury, 2.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 15.7 minutes, against 23.5 across Vermont.
The average trip to work in Middlebury is 16 minutes. Since 2013, Middlebury has added 1,215 jobs, to 7,797 in 2023. 19% of Middlebury workers work from home.
| Middlebury | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 19% | 15% | 11% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
25% of adults have obesity in Middlebury. Middlebury beats the Vermont average on 8 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 8.6% of adults smoke cigarettes in Middlebury.
| Middlebury | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 30% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.6% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.2% | 9.1% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| What stands out | Middlebury | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer smokers | 8.6% | 11.2% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 7.2% | 8.8% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 82.8% | 85.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 89% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Middlebury.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Cornwall weather station, 6 miles away, records that 59 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 94% of Vermont places with climate records. The Cornwall weather station, 6 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 151 days: shorter than most of the country, but longer than 77% of Vermont places with climate records.
Middlebury has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82° and January nights drop to 10°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Middlebury home is worth about $446,000, up 1.1% in a year, 14% above the Vermont typical home.
| Middlebury | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,156 a month | $1,133 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 16.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 68% of Vermont’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 118 to 97 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Middlebury. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi LandmarkFort Ticonderoga
Big draw38 mi LakeLake Champlain
34 mi LakeLake George
4 mi National forestGreen Mountain National Forest
15 mi Ski areaSugarbush Resort142 runs · 2,569 ft vertical
31 mi Ski areaKillington Resort184 runs · 3,031 ft verticalFort Ticonderoga: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Champlain: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Lake George: Sixlocal, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Green Mountain National Forest: Brian W. Schaller, FAL · Sugarbush Resort: Mrtrek1701 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Killington Resort: NHRHS2010, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Middlebury
College town 33 of every 100 Middlebury residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
10 places in Middlebury on the National Register of Historic Places.
33 notable people were born in Middlebury.
Town in Vermont, United States
Middlebury is the shire town (county seat) of Addison County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,152. Middlebury is home to Middlebury College and the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History and the adjacent hardware store.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Middlebury.
| Town | VT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlebury | #22 | B+ | C− | B | B | A |
| Weybridge | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cornwall | — | — | C− | — | B | A |
| New Haven | — | — | C− | — | A− | A |
| Bristol | #7 | A | C− | A | A− | A |
| Ripton | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Salisbury | — | — | C+ | — | B | A |
Cornwall, New Haven and Salisbury have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Cornwall, New Haven and Salisbury report no FBI crime data of their own. Weybridge and Ripton aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Middlebury with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Middlebury grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns and #22 of 71 in Vermont. It grades A for health, B for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
33 notable people were born here, including Gabriel Mann and Patty Sheehan.
