Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Thetford grades B overall, ranked 33rd of 71 in Vermont, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 92% of the country and it has 65 miles of trail. It also does better than most on schools: its schools outperform 60% of the state's. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $410K for a typical one and 4.9 times the Lebanon area’s $83K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 8 places on the National Register. 68% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Thetford, against 39% in Vermont’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Thetford Center Covered Bridge and Union Village Covered Bridge. Thetford's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 93% of U.S. towns.
Where Thetford beats most towns.
Thetford Center Covered Bridge
Census counts: 862 in 1790, a low of 862 in 1790, 2,775 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 3 maps from 1931 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 Thetford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thetford, 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 Thetford.
Thetford sends many workers across the state line to Hanover, has home values still below their peak and gets more snow than most of the country, though not than most of Vermont.
65 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. Thetford’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Palmer Forest, 454 acres with 1 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Thetford Hill State Park | 3.1 mi | 170 |
| 2. Palmer Forest | 1 mi | 454 |
| 3. Ely Mountain Conservation Area | 1 mi | 204 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Thetford School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thetford Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 187 | C+ |
| Thetford Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 307 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VT on state tests and graduation
27% of Thetford adults sleep under 7 hours. Thetford beats the Vermont average on 8 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 14% of Thetford adults report frequent mental distress.
| Thetford | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 12% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 6.2% | 9.5% | 14% |
| What stands out | Thetford | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.2% | 9.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.5% | 10.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
34% of working residents cross a state line to work, Hanover among the top destinations.
Most working residents leave Thetford for work: only 16% work in town. Since 2013, Thetford has added 30 jobs, to 528 in 2023. The top destinations are Lebanon (17%), Hanover (17%) and Hartford (11%).
| Thetford | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 16% | 8% |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Hanover weather station, 9 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, 9 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.
Thetford has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Thetford is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Thetford's reported crime rate is well below Vermont's. Only 3 of the 42 Vermont towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Thetford. 7 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Thetford | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 11.7 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Thetford since 2011.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical value, about $410K, is 9% below its May 2024 peak.
84% of households own their home in Thetford. The typical Thetford home is worth about $410,000, down 4.4% in a year, close to the Vermont typical home.
| Thetford | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,141 a month | $1,133 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Thetford. Close and well known come first.
31 mi Ski areaKillington Resort184 runs · 3,031 ft vertical
36 mi Ski areaCannon Mountain104 runs · 2,201 ft vertical
39 mi Ski areaSugarbush Resort142 runs · 2,569 ft vertical
38 mi Ski areaOkemo Mountain119 runs · 2,165 ft vertical8 mi Ski areaDartmouth Skiway48 runs · 991 ft vertical
35 mi State parkFranconia Notch State ParkKillington Resort: NHRHS2010, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cannon Mountain: Mikespenard at English Wikipedia, 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 · Franconia Notch State Park: Stephen Sokolowski, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Thetford
About 7 of every 100 Thetford residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Vermont.
Where Thetford’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
8 places in Thetford on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Thetford.
Town in Vermont, United States
Thetford is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States in the Connecticut River Valley. The population was 2,775 at the 2020 census. Villages within the town include East Thetford, North Thetford, Thetford Hill, Thetford Center, Rices Mills, Union Village, and Post Mills. The town office is in Thetford Center. Thetford is home to Thetford Academy, Vermont's oldest secondary school. Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, formerly Swift Water Girl Scout Council, also has a summer residential camp here called Camp Farnsworth. Camp Farnsworth originally started under private ownership by Chelebe and Madama Farnsworth in 1909 when it was called Camp Hanoum.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Thetford.
Strafford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Thetford and Strafford report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Thetford with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Thetford grades B overall, better than 57% of U.S. towns and #33 of 71 in Vermont. It grades A for health and B for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
6 notable people were born here, including Sherburne Wesley Burnham and Dean Conant Worcester.
