Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,103, settled in 1794.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Richmond grades A overall, ranked 6th of 71 in Vermont. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally. Its public schools beat 94% of Vermont towns on state tests and graduation and the median household earns $108K. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $579K for a typical one and 6.2 times the Burlington metro’s $93K median household income. Richmond’s trail density is 2.2 miles per square mile, against 0.6 in Vermont’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 3 of Vermont’s 172 towns do worse. Richmond's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Where Richmond beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Richmond | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5% | 9.2% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond Elementary School | PK–4 | 356 |
| Mansfield Cooperative School | 5–8 | 10 |
| Camels Hump Middle School | 5–8 | 332 |
Round Church is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 718 in 1800, 4,167 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1924 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Vermont), ordered by how far Richmond is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Richmond, 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 Richmond.
Richmond gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Vermont (mostly inland flooding) and has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Vermont.
73 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest place to walk is Robbins Mountain Wildlife Management Area, 354 acres with 1.1 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Robbins Mountain Wildlife Management Area | 1.1 mi | 354 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District #401. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 356 | A |
| Camels Hump Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 332 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VT on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Vermont is food insecurity: 5% of its 3,575 adults worry about having enough food, against 9.2% statewide.
23% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Richmond, where Vermont’s towns sit at 30% and U.S. towns at 36%. 12% of Richmond adults get no exercise outside work. Only 5 of the 71 Vermont towns we compare have a higher share of adults who binge drink than Richmond.
| Richmond | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 30% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 19% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 30% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Richmond | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5% | 9.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.2% | 10.1% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.7% | 76.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 6.2 years of the Burlington metro’s $93K median household income, the typical home (about $579K) costs more against local pay than in 86% of Vermont towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living.
The typical Richmond home is worth about $579,000, about the same as a year ago, 48% above the Vermont typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Richmond for work: only 9% work in town. 4.2% of residents live below the poverty line in Richmond. Since 2013, Richmond has added 114 jobs, to 1,318 in 2023.
| Richmond | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $108,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.2% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.7% | 16% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of Vermont towns, with expected losses of about $638 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Richmond is 75 of 100. Since 1979, 50 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Richmond.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Essex Junction 1 N weather station, 11 miles away, records that 86 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 95% of U.S. towns. The Essex Junction 1 N weather station, 11 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 160 days: shorter than most of the country, but longer than 88% of Vermont places with climate records.
Richmond has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Richmond’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Richmond's reported crime rate is well below Vermont's. Among 42 Vermont towns, just 3 have a lower violent crime rate than Richmond. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Richmond | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 11.7 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.7 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Richmond. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi LakeLake Champlain
14 mi MountainMount Mansfield
14 mi Ski areaStowe Mountain Resort144 runs · 2,390 ft vertical
17 mi Ski areaSugarbush Resort142 runs · 2,569 ft vertical
13 mi MuseumShelburne Museum
13 mi Ski areaMad River Glen77 runs · 1,998 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 · Sugarbush Resort: Mrtrek1701 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Shelburne Museum: Storylanding, CC0 · Mad River Glen: Jrclark (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Richmond
About 3 of every 100 Richmond residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
Where Richmond’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
8 places in Richmond on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Richmond.
Town in Vermont, United States
Richmond is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 4,167. The main settlement of Richmond, in the north-central part of town, is a census-designated place (CDP), with a population of 853 at the 2020 census; it was formerly an incorporated village.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Richmond.
| Town | VT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | #6 | A | C− | — | A | A+ |
| Bolton | — | — | B− | — | A | A+ |
| Williston | #25 | B | D | D | A+ | A+ |
| Jericho | #2 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Huntington | — | — | B | — | A | A+ |
Bolton and Huntington have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Richmond, Bolton, Jericho and Huntington report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Richmond with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Richmond grades A overall, better than 87% of U.S. towns and #6 of 71 in Vermont. It grades A+ for health and A for schools. Hazard risk 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−.
4 notable people were born here, including George F. Edmunds and Cody Arens.
