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Hydeville SchoolCastleton, #1 on this list · Hydeville School · Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Vermont rankings · Safety

Safest towns in Vermont

Castleton reports the least crime per resident of Vermont’s 38 towns with crime figures for 2023–2025; 7 of the 38 grade A− or better on safety nationally.

Crimes reported by each town’s own police, 2023–2025, per 1,000 residents, violent crimes counted four times. The same measure as the Safety grade. For 2 of them one year isn’t in the FBI’s published tables and comes from the FBI Crime Data Explorer or the state’s own reports (named in the row). How grades work

#1

Castleton

Rutland County · 4,411 people
A+

0.45 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 0.1, property 0.2

#2

Chester

Windsor County · 2,955 people
A+

2.10 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 0.3, property 0.8

#3

Norwich

Windsor County · 3,577 people
A+

2.38 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 0.2, property 1.6

All 38 towns

Weighted crimes per 1,000 residents a year, lowest first, to two decimals (the sort uses the exact rate, so there are no rounding ties). Grade = the national Safety grade.

38 towns ranked. Not here? See towns without their own figures.

#TownWeighted rateViolentPropertyGrade
1CastletonRutland County · 4,411 people0.450.10.2A+
2ChesterWindsor County · 2,955 people2.100.30.8A+
3NorwichWindsor County · 3,577 people2.380.21.6A+
4PittsfordRutland County · 2,859 people · 2025 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer2.420.12.0A+
5WeathersfieldWindsor County · 2,809 people4.320.71.5A
6NorthfieldWashington County · 5,873 people4.661.00.8A
7BristolAddison County · 3,759 people5.400.53.3A
8RoyaltonWindsor County · 2,692 people · 2025 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer11.211.07.4B+
9HinesburgChittenden County · 4,675 people12.301.36.9B+
10StoweLamoille County · 5,325 people12.830.610.6B+
11WindsorWindsor County · 3,464 people13.831.86.7B
12MiltonChittenden County · 10,646 people14.961.78.0B
13MiddleburyAddison County · 9,208 people16.501.311.4B
14VergennesAddison County · 2,559 people16.821.212.2B−
15ShelburneChittenden County · 8,133 people16.980.614.5B−
16Bellows FallsWindham County · 2,706 people18.542.48.8B−
17BrandonRutland County · 4,173 people18.742.010.6B−
18SpringfieldWindsor County · 8,881 people20.552.211.7B−
19EssexChittenden County · 11,346 people20.611.315.4B−
20MorristownLamoille County · 6,129 people22.171.815.1C+
21HartfordWindsor County · 10,911 people22.952.612.6C+
22Fair HavenRutland County · 2,676 people23.722.115.4C+
23HardwickCaledonia County · 2,950 people24.061.418.3C+
24ColchesterChittenden County · 17,565 people24.742.016.9C+
25MontpelierWashington County · 7,823 people34.642.823.2C−
26St. JohnsburyCaledonia County · 7,354 people35.353.222.8C−
27NewportOrleans County · 4,274 people37.885.117.6C−
28RutlandRutland County · 3,869 people38.751.831.6C−
29WinooskiChittenden County · 8,239 people39.963.326.8C−
30BenningtonBennington County · 14,953 people40.194.621.8C−
31WillistonChittenden County · 9,975 people49.891.444.3D
32RutlandRutland County · 15,363 people54.514.536.5D
33BarreWashington County · 8,214 people54.665.532.8D
34South BurlingtonChittenden County · 21,394 people57.682.448.1D
35BrattleboroWindham County · 11,872 people63.136.039.3D
36BurlingtonChittenden County · 44,019 people68.074.649.8D−
37St. AlbansFranklin County · 6,939 people115.748.382.4D−
38BerlinWashington County · 2,948 people133.287.4103.9D−

Per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025. Last on the list: Berlin, 133.28. The rate counts crimes reported to police, not how safe any one street feels.

Not ranked

33 towns without figures of their own

These towns of 2,500+ are not on the list because there are no police figures for them alone for all of 2023–2025, from the FBI or the state. In 2025 the FBI’s tables list State Police figures for 0 of Vermont’s counties and county sheriff figures for 11; those cover many towns at once and can’t be split by town, so they aren’t ranked here. Their other grades stand; the overall grade uses the rest.

  • Barton Orleans County · 2,732 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Bradford Orange County · 2,834 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
  • Cambridge Lamoille County · 3,666 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Charlotte Chittenden County · 3,846 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Derby Orleans County · 4,456 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • East Montpelier Washington County · 2,594 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Enosburgh Franklin County · 2,780 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Essex Junction Chittenden County · 10,921 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Fairfax Franklin County · 5,455 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Ferrisburgh Addison County · 2,677 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Georgia Franklin County · 4,906 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Hartland Windsor County · 3,398 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Highgate Franklin County · 3,575 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Hyde Park Lamoille County · 2,958 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Jericho Chittenden County · 5,056 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Johnson Lamoille County · 3,369 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Lyndon Caledonia County · 5,628 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Manchester Bennington County · 4,413 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Newport Orleans County · 2,583 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Poultney Rutland County · 2,962 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Pownal Bennington County · 3,219 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Putney Windham County · 2,575 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Randolph Orange County · 4,958 people: figures for 2024 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
  • Richmond Chittenden County · 4,103 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
  • Rockingham Windham County · 4,697 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Shaftsbury Bennington County · 3,558 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Swanton Franklin County · 6,894 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Thetford Orange County · 2,863 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
  • Underhill Chittenden County · 3,071 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Waterbury Washington County · 5,434 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Westminster Windham County · 2,932 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Williamstown Orange County · 3,576 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
  • Woodstock Windsor County · 2,970 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which is the safest town in Vermont?

Castleton (Rutland County) reports the least crime per resident: 0.45 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year over 2023–2025 (0.07 violent and 0.15 property crimes per 1,000), from its police department’s reports to the FBI. Chester (2.10) and Norwich (2.38) follow.

How are these towns ranked?

By crimes reported by each town’s police per 1,000 residents over three years (FBI figures, or the state’s own where the FBI table lacks a year), with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. It is the same measure as the Safety grade on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list needs 2,500+ residents and the town’s own police figures for all three years. 33 Vermont towns of 2,500+ lack them; they are listed above with the reason. Smaller towns have a Safety grade on their page but no rank.

Go deeper

More Vermont lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Vermont rankings →
Other states

Safest towns in other states