Peru, Vermont 10, 2010
Peru’s story
265 years in pictures
Census counts: 71 in 1790, a low of 71 in 1790, 531 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1924 and 4 maps from 1894 on.
- 1761Peru is settled
PeruVT
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
523
2025 Census estimate · −1.1% since 2020
Typical home
$503K
−0.5% in a year
Household income
$152K
median
Median age
45.3
years
Jobs based here
218
Balanced
Is Peru a good place to live?
Peru’s July high is 72°F, against 80°F in Vermont’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. Among 72 Vermont towns, just 1 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Peru. 74% of the land in Peru is conserved, where Vermont’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Green Mountain National Forest, at 17,075 acres with 23.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Peru has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Peru stand out
Where Peru beats most towns.
Small town
523 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
LandgroveMount TaborDorsetWinhallPeru
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Peru: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Peru, and how to reach them.
PowerGreen Mountain Power23.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBromley Water CompanyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Peru’s trash rules yet
SchoolsTaconic and Green Region School DistrictBennington Rutland Supervisory Union2 districts serve Peru; 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 herePeru Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes05152, 0514805152 96% · 05148 4%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 Peru.
Outdoors
Nearly a third of Peru is conserved land
33 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The trail density in Peru is 0.9 miles per square mile.
73.5%conserved
73.5%
conserved · 17,523 of 23,841 acres
33 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Green Mountain National Forest | 23.1 mi | 17,075 |
| 2. Peru Peak Wilderness | 3.8 mi | 3,677 |
| 3. Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area | 2.2 mi | 5,213 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Peru faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Peru.
19risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHurricanes
6
paid flood claims since 1987
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Homes in Peru are worth about $503K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Peru home is worth about $503,000, down 0.5% in a year, 28% above the Vermont typical home.
$503KZillow home value
Typical home value
Peru$503K
Vermont$392K
−0.5%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Peru, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Peru has cold winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. Peru’s January low is 7°F.
72°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–28°
Spring26–47°
Summer49–70°
Fall33–52°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
72°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Peru has 1.4 jobs for every working resident, and 206 people commute in
Most working residents leave Peru for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Peru has added 127 jobs, to 218 in 2023. The top destinations are Stratton (17%), Manchester (11%) and Londonderry (6%).
8%work in town
| Peru | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.6% | 16% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Peru8%
Stratton17%
Manchester11%
Londonderry6%
Winhall4%
12 mi
median commute distance
218
jobs based in Peru
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Peru is
Peru beats the Vermont average on 10 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 13% of adults report frequent mental distress in Peru. Only 3 of the 72 Vermont towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Peru.
| Peru | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 12% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 19% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
31 measures vs. Vermont
10 better20 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Peru | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.8% | 9.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.4% | 5.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.9% | 9.9% |
Rutland Regional Medical Center
22.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 81 attractions →Lake George and 32 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Peru. Close and well known come first.
39 mi LakeLake George
in town Ski areaBromley Mountain Ski Resort;Bromley Mountain67 runs · 1,297 ft vertical
24 mi Ski areaKillington Resort184 runs · 3,031 ft vertical
38 mi Theme parkGreat Escape
12 mi Ski areaStratton Mountain Resort106 runs · 1,899 ft vertical
14 mi Ski areaOkemo Mountain119 runs · 2,165 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 · Bromley Mountain Ski Resort;Bromley Mountain: Jrclark (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Killington Resort: NHRHS2010, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 · Okemo Mountain: Jrclark (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Peru
17pages on Peru
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Peru; the nearest are
Bennington CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bennington29.1 mi$66,262 tuitionRiver Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Claremont, NH31.4 mi$6,940 in-state tuitionKeene State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Keene, NH41 mi$14,784 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Peru residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
Get outside
33 miles of trails in Peru
73.5% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.
3
Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area2.2 mi of trails · 5,213 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Peru
Town in Vermont, United States
Peru is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 531 at the 2020 census. Originally known as Bromley, the town name was changed to "Peru" by the land grantees as a way of attracting land buyers to an area that had been described as 36 square miles (93 km2) of "trees, bears and mountain lions".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1761
- Area
- 37 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,647 ft
- ZIP code
- 05152
- Area code
- 802
Questions about Peru
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Peru, VT a good place to live?
Peru has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.