Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Yes, by almost any measure. Norwich earns an A+, 1st of 71 graded towns in Vermont. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates, its schools outperform 98% of the state's, and crime is low: it reports less per resident than 97% of U.S. towns. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $804K for a typical one and 9.7 times the Lebanon area’s $83K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 11 places on the National Register. 81% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Norwich, above both the Vermont town median (39%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Only 16 of Vermont’s 172 towns score higher on the outdoors. The biggest place to walk is Green Mountain National Forest, 676 acres with 9.3 miles of trail.
Where Norwich beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Norwich | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 10.1% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Marion W. Cross School | PK–6 | 345 |
Census counts: 1,158 in 1790, a low of 1,092 in 1920, 3,612 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 3 maps from 1906 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Vermont), ordered by how far Norwich is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Norwich, 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 Norwich.
Norwich is the healthiest town in Vermont, has schools in the top 5% of Vermont and sends many workers across the state line to Lebanon.
At 9.7 years of the Lebanon area’s $83K median household income, the typical home (about $804K) costs more against local pay than in 99% of Vermont towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. Its typical home is the priciest on its borders; Hartford is next at $432K.
Norwich’s median rent is $1,460 a month. Typical home values rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026.
| Norwich | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,460 a month | $1,133 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #1 of the 71 Vermont towns we grade for schools. Its A+ is the best School Grade on its borders; Hartford (A−) is next.
Its public schools are run by the Norwich School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion W. Cross SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 345 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VT on state tests
100 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The trail density in Norwich is 2.2 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Green Mountain National Forest | 9.3 mi | 676 |
| 2. Norwich Nature Area | 1.2 mi | 39 |
| 3. Norwich Town Forest | — | 50 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
It is the healthiest of the 71 Vermont towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Vermont is tooth loss: 5.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.1% statewide.
12% of Norwich adults report frequent mental distress. No town among the 71 in Vermont we compare has a lower share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Norwich. 9.9% of Norwich adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Norwich | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.9% | 12% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 19% | 25% |
| What stands out | Norwich | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 10.1% |
| Fewer smokers | 6.9% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 20 to 0 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 0 reported in 2025, 0 per 1,000 residents.
Among 37 Vermont towns, just 2 have a lower property crime rate than Norwich.
| Norwich | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 14.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
35% of working residents cross a state line to work, Lebanon among the top destinations.
2.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Norwich. Most working residents leave Norwich for work: only 12% work in town. 21% of workers work from home in Norwich.
| Norwich | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $140,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 21% | 15% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.8% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Hanover weather station, 5 miles away, records that 61 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 87% of Vermont places with climate records. The Hanover weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 9 days a year reach 90°: fewer than most of the country, but more than 92% of Vermont places with climate records.
Norwich has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 80° and January nights drop to 9°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 2006, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Norwich.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Norwich. Close and well known come first.
26 mi Ski areaKillington Resort184 runs · 3,031 ft vertical
39 mi Ski areaSugarbush Resort142 runs · 2,569 ft vertical
32 mi Ski areaOkemo Mountain119 runs · 2,165 ft vertical
6 mi MuseumHood Museum of Art
39 mi National forestGreen Mountain National Forest11 mi Ski areaDartmouth Skiway48 runs · 991 ft verticalKillington Resort: NHRHS2010, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sugarbush Resort: Mrtrek1701 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Okemo Mountain: Jrclark (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hood Museum of Art: Daderot, CC0 · Green Mountain National Forest: Brian W. Schaller, FAL
2 within 15 miles of the center of Norwich
About 5 of every 100 Norwich residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
18.5% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
11 places in Norwich on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Norwich.
Town in Vermont, United States
Norwich is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,612 at the 2020 census. The municipality is a commuter town for nearby Hanover, New Hampshire across the Connecticut River. The town is part of the Dresden School District, the first interstate school district in the United States, signed into law by President John F. Kennedy. The town contains the Norwich Mid-Century Modern Historic District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Norwich.
| Town | VT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich | #1 | A+ | D | A+ | A+ | A+ |
| Thetford | #33 | B | C+ | — | B | A |
| Hartford | #28 | B | C− | C+ | A− | A |
| Sharon | — | — | C− | — | C+ | A |
Sharon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Thetford and Sharon report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Norwich with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Norwich grades A+ overall, better than 98% of U.S. towns and #1 of 71 in Vermont. It grades A+ for health, A+ for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
12 notable people were born here, including George Bush and Jonathan Finer.
