Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Waitsfield’s subject grades are an A+ for health, an A for schools, and an A− for walkability; the weakest is a C− for cost of living. 64% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Waitsfield, above both the Vermont town median (40%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Only 11 of Vermont’s 172 towns score higher on health. 16% of the land in Waitsfield is conserved, where Vermont’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Waitsfield has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Great Eddy Covered Bridge and Pine Brook Covered Bridge. Waitsfield has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Waitsfield beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Waitsfield | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.2% | 9.2% |
Pine Brook Covered Bridge| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Waitsfield Elementary School | PK–6 | 152 |
| True North Wilderness Program | 9–12 | 9 |
| Mysa School | 6–12 | 9 |
Census counts: 473 in 1800, a low of 473 in 1800, 1,844 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1833 and 4 maps from 1919 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Vermont), ordered by how far Waitsfield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waitsfield, 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 Waitsfield.
23% of Waitsfield adults sleep under 7 hours. Waitsfield beats the Vermont average on 16 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 15% of Waitsfield adults get no exercise outside work.
| Waitsfield | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 30% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 30% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Waitsfield | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.2% | 9.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.5% | 8.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Harwood Unified Union School District #60. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waitsfield Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 152 | A+ |
| Mysa School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 9 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VT on state tests and graduation
The typical Waitsfield home is worth about $569,000, up 2.2% in a year, 45% above the Vermont typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
20 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Waitsfield is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mad River Green | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Waitsfield has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Waitsfield’s July high is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 4 of Waitsfield’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Waitsfield grew to 1,177 in 2023, 202 more than in 2013. 6% of residents live below the poverty line in Waitsfield.
| Waitsfield | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 16% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 21 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Waitsfield.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waitsfield. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi LakeLake Champlain
Big draw38 mi LandmarkFort Ticonderoga
25 mi MountainMount Mansfield
6 mi Ski areaSugarbush Resort142 runs · 2,569 ft vertical
6 mi Ski areaMad River Glen77 runs · 1,998 ft vertical
24 mi Ski areaStowe Mountain Resort144 runs · 2,390 ft verticalLake Champlain: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Fort Ticonderoga: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Mansfield: Original uploader was Calzarette (Joe Calzarette) at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Sugarbush Resort: Mrtrek1701 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mad River Glen: Jrclark (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Stowe Mountain Resort: Stevage, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Waitsfield
About 4 of every 100 Waitsfield residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.
7 places in Waitsfield on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Waitsfield.
Town in Vermont, United States
Waitsfield is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,844 as of the 2020 census. It was created by a Vermont charter on February 25, 1782, and was granted to militia Generals Benjamin Wait, Roger Enos and others. The town was named after Wait.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Waitsfield.
| Town | VT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waitsfield | — | — | C− | — | A | A+ |
| Northfield | #34 | B− | C | A | D− | A− |
| Fayston | — | — | D | — | A | A+ |
| Moretown | — | — | B | — | A | A+ |
| Warren | — | — | D− | — | A | A− |
Waitsfield, Fayston, Moretown and Warren have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Waitsfield, Fayston, Moretown and Warren report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Waitsfield with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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−.
5 notable people were born here, including Grace Potter and Henry Mower Rice.
