Lowest-earning Counties in Vermont

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Lowest-earning counties in Vermont

Americans on the whole were doing well financially heading into 2020, with major markers like unemployment reaching 50-year lows. The pandemic changed all that: During the second quarter of the 2020 fiscal year, our nation's real GDP fell by a whopping 31.4%, a number that hasn't been seen since the Great Depression. Since then the GDP has recovered, the first quarter of 2022 was 11% above the fourth quarter of 2019.

While GDP has recovered since the height of the pandemic, wage growth has not kept pace with inflation. In 2021 average hourly wages increased 4.7% while there was 7% inflation, meaning the worker's purchasing power dropped by 2.4%.

Where you live can make a big impact on your financial situation. The highest earning county in the U.S. earns $147,111, while the lowest earns $22,292. Stacker compiled a list of the lowest-earning counties in Vermont using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the Census' 2020 5-year estimate median household income.

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#14. Grand Isle County

- Median household income: $81,667
--- 28.7% above state average, 25.7% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 38.6%
--- #197 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 5.9%
--- #2,967 highest among all counties nationwide

#13. Chittenden County

- Median household income: $76,316
--- 20.2% above state average, 17.4% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 36.8%
--- #240 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.8%
--- #2,906 highest among all counties nationwide

#12. Addison County

- Median household income: $70,262
--- 10.7% above state average, 8.1% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 32.5%
--- #370 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.9%
--- #2,771 highest among all counties nationwide

#11. Franklin County

- Median household income: $65,314
--- 2.9% above state average, 0.5% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 28.1%
--- #612 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.8%
--- #2,584 highest among all counties nationwide

#10. Washington County

- Median household income: $64,862
--- 2.2% above state average, 0.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 27.1%
--- #688 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.2%
--- #2,556 highest among all counties nationwide

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#9. Lamoille County

- Median household income: $64,179
--- 1.1% above state average, 1.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 28.8%
--- #559 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.6%
--- #2,517 highest among all counties nationwide

#8. Orange County

- Median household income: $62,737
--- 1.2% below state average, 3.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 25.6%
--- #811 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.3%
--- #2,438 highest among all counties nationwide

#7. Windsor County

- Median household income: $61,503
--- 3.1% below state average, 5.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 26.0%
--- #776 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.0%
--- #2,356 highest among all counties nationwide

#6. Bennington County

- Median household income: $58,200
--- 8.3% below state average, 10.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 26.5%
--- #733 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.9%
--- #2,093 highest among all counties nationwide

#5. Rutland County

- Median household income: $57,176
--- 9.9% below state average, 12.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 22.7%
--- #1,169 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.6%
--- #2,004 highest among all counties nationwide

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#4. Orleans County

- Median household income: $54,390
--- 14.3% below state average, 16.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.6%
--- #1,343 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.0%
--- #1,735 highest among all counties nationwide

#3. Windham County

- Median household income: $54,188
--- 14.6% below state average, 16.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 23.1%
--- #1,113 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.2%
--- #1,712 highest among all counties nationwide

#2. Caledonia County

- Median household income: $52,481
--- 17.3% below state average, 19.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 20.4%
--- #1,543 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.3%
--- #1,541 highest among all counties nationwide

#1. Essex County

- Median household income: $47,035
--- 25.9% below state average, 27.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 13.8%
--- #2,670 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.0%
--- #917 highest among all counties nationwide