Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 10,646, chartered in 1763.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Milton grades B overall, 32nd among Vermont's 71 graded towns. It is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $451K for a typical one and 4.9 times the Burlington metro’s $93K median household income. Milton has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them West Milton Bridge and Sand Bar State Park. Only 4 of the 71 Vermont towns we compare have a higher median household income than Milton. Milton Town Forest, at 489 acres with 6.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Milton beats most towns.
Census counts: 282 in 1790, a low of 282 in 1790, 10,723 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 4 maps from 1915 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Vermont), ordered by how far Milton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Milton, 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 Milton.
Milton has a longer frost-free season than almost anywhere else in Vermont and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Vermont.
Within Vermont it is healthier than 57% of the 71 graded towns: Vermont sets a high bar. Against the 5,889 U.S. towns with household incomes like Milton’s, it is healthier than 69%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
28% of Milton adults sleep under 7 hours, against 30% in Vermont’s towns and 36% across U.S. towns. 29% of adults have high blood pressure in Milton. Milton beats the Vermont average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 3.
| Milton | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.9% | 9.1% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 19% | 25% |
| What stands out | Milton | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.6% | 6.3% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 9% | 9.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.5% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Milton School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Milton Senior High School, with 394 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 625 | C− |
| Milton Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 394 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VT on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Milton for work: only 13% work in town. 3.6% of Milton residents live below the poverty line, where Vermont’s towns sit at 9.6% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Since 2013, Milton has added 517 jobs, to 2,951 in 2023.
| Milton | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 16% | 8% |
| Work from home | 15% | 15% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Milton Town Forest | 6.9 mi | 489 |
| 2. Eagle Mountain Natural Area | 2.3 mi | 229 |
| 3. Bombardier Park West | 0.4 mi | 28 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Milton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The S Hero weather station, 7 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 174 days, the highest of 416 Vermont places with climate records. The S Hero weather station, 7 miles away, records that 50 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 99% of Vermont places with climate records.
Milton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Milton’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median rent in Milton is $1,536 a month. The typical Milton home is worth about $451,000, about the same as a year ago, 15% above the Vermont typical home. 87% of Milton households own their home.
| Milton | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,536 a month | $1,133 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Milton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi LakeLake Champlain
18 mi MountainMount Mansfield
20 mi Ski areaStowe Mountain Resort144 runs · 2,390 ft vertical
17 mi Canyon & gorgeAusable Chasm
19 mi MuseumShelburne Museum
20 mi Ski areaSmugglers' Notch Resort110 runs · 2,533 ft verticalLake 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 · Ausable Chasm: Alan Prusila / Alanp35 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Shelburne Museum: Storylanding, CC0 · Smugglers' Notch Resort: Jrclark (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of Milton
About 4 of every 100 Milton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
Where Milton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Milton on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Milton.
Town in Vermont, United States
Milton is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,723. According to local legend, the town was named after the English poet John Milton, but the name most likely originated from William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam, who held the title Viscount Milton and was a supporter of independence for the colonies during the American Revolution. Milton has a municipal building, school system, library, police force, fire department, rescue squad, several churches, as well as civic and social organizations. The Town website can be found here: https://www.miltonvt.gov/
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Milton.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its B; Georgia (B) is closest.
| Town | VT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton | #32 | B | C | B | B− | A |
| South Hero | — | — | C− | — | C | A |
| Colchester | #16 | A− | C− | C+ | A | A |
| Grand Isle | — | — | C− | — | C | A |
| Westford | — | — | D | — | A | A+ |
| Georgia | #31 | B | C | — | B− | A− |
| Fairfax | #12 | A− | B− | — | B− | A |
South Hero, Grand Isle and Westford have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. South Hero, Grand Isle, Westford, Georgia and Fairfax report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Milton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Milton grades B overall, better than 58% of U.S. towns and #32 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.
Milton was chartered in 1763 and has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 7 notable people were born here, including Edwin E. Bryant and Jean-Paul Cyr.
