Census-designated place · Rutland County, Vermont

Castleton, Vermont

Castleton is a census-designated place in Rutland County, Vermont, part of the Rutland, VT metro area. It has 1,052 residents. Castleton, Vermont has a quality-of-life score of 81 out of 100 (very high), ranking #2,965 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Vermont it ranks #23 of 51 cities and towns. It ranks best on uninsured residents (under 65) (low), broadband subscriptions (high) and average commute time (low). It ranks worst on median household income (low), child care cost burden (high) and rent as share of income (high).

81Very high

Quality-of-life score: #2,965 of 15,651 cities and towns
Vermont: #23 of 51 in VT
Population: 1,052 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 832.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 5011875

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety30#10,995/15,637
Economy9#14,277/15,631
Housing—
Health35#10,081/15,609
Healthcare93#1,101/15,650
Environment95#817/15,453
Education99#213/15,649
Infrastructure96#556/15,650
Community74#4,037/15,651
Leisure & amenities88#1,811/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Castleton, Vermont ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Rutland County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Uninsured residents (under 65) · low0.0%
100/100Vermont 5.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Broadband subscriptions · high100.0%
99/100Vermont 89.7%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Average commute time · low10.4 min
97/100Vermont 23.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013High uncertainty
Public libraries · high3.5 /10k
97/100Vermont 2.9 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesRutland County value
Grocery stores · high3.5 /10k
97/100Vermont 3.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsRutland County value
High school diploma or higher · high76.1%
97/100Vermont 94.9%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Median household income · low$21,322
1/100Vermont $82,836United States $81,6042017-2021U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013High uncertainty
Child care cost burden · high50.1%
1/100Vermont 50.1%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRutland County value
Rent as share of income · high51.0%
2/100Vermont 29.4%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071At least this value: the publisher's top bracket is open-ended
Firearm deaths · high28.2 /100k
3/100Vermont 13.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataRutland County value
Comfortable days · low22.0%
3/100Vermont 21.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationRutland County value
Suicide rate · high26.5 /100k
7/100Vermont 21.6 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataRutland County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,276 (2015-2019) → 1,052 (2020-2024)
−18%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
61.9% (2015-2019) → 100.0% (2020-2024)
+38 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateWorsening
0.0% (2017-2021) → 25.4% (2020-2024)
+25 pts3 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.9% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
39.7% (2015-2019) → 20.4% (2020-2024)
−19 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
65.0% (2015-2019) → 81.0% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
91.0% (2015-2019) → 76.1% (2020-2024)
−15 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Castleton, Vermont improved on 1 of 4 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 2 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+38 points61.9% → 100.0%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 4 measures

Change of every measure of Castleton, Vermont between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Broadband subscriptions	61.9%2015-2019	100.0%2020-2024	+38 points	Improved	99%
High school diploma or higher	91.0%2015-2019	76.1%2020-2024	−15 points	Within the margin of error	0%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4902015-2019	0.5402020-2024	+0.050	Within the margin of error	16%
Rent as share of income	51.0%2015-2019	51.0%2020-2024	0 points	Little change	55%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15075 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Castleton, Vermont five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Castleton, Vermont in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Castleton, Vermont itself moved +9.4 points in standing on average over the same 4 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,052 residents (±158)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 men (+6.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,052 residents (±158)

Castleton, Vermont
Vermont share

White89%933
Black2.9%†31
Hispanic or Latino6.3%†66

Education

201 residents (±103)

Castleton, Vermont
Vermont share

No high school diploma24%†48
High school or GED19%†38
Some college0.0%0

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

66 households (±54)

Castleton, Vermont
Vermont share

Under $25k52%†34
$25k–50k0.0%0
$50k–75k14%†9
$75k–100k0.0%0
$100k–150k35%†23
$150k–200k0.0%0
$200k or more0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

66 households (±54)

Castleton, Vermont
Vermont share

Own36%†24
Rent64%†42

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

42 households (±45)

Castleton, Vermont
Vermont share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,500100%†42

Home values

24 homes (±30)

Castleton, Vermont
Vermont share

Under $150k21%†5
$150k–250k0.0%0
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

144 homes (±84)

Castleton, Vermont
Vermont share

2010 or later0.0%0
2000–20092.8%†4
1980–19995.6%†8

Size of homes

144 homes (±84)

Castleton, Vermont
Vermont share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms24%†35

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

419 workers (±141)

Castleton, Vermont
Vermont share

Drive alone37%†155
Carpool2.4%†10
Public transit0.0%0
Walk57%†239
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.6%†15
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Walk (+33.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

404 workers (±143)

Castleton, Vermont
Vermont share

Under 15 min80%†324
15–29 min6.9%†28
30–44 min12%†47

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Rutland, VT

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Rutland County, the county holding most of Castleton's residents.

Rutland County has 1,945 employer establishments, 322 for every 10,000 residents (1.30× the US rate of 248; 1.00× Vermont's), with 22,482 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,879. The Census Bureau also counts 5,208 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,945; 5,208 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 322; US 248 · Vermont 322
Paid employees: 22,482
Average annual pay: $49,879; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Rutland County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	200	33.1	2.14×More than typical	863	$62,524	583
Restaurants and other eating places	125	20.7	1.13×About typical	1,834	$23,010	22
Ambulatory health care services	110	18.2	0.87×About typical	1,423	$62,194	246
Construction of buildings	75	12.4	1.64×More than typical	462	$56,751	276
Services to buildings and dwellings	74	12.3	1.82×More than typical	281	$43,687	394
Building equipment contractors	68	11.3	1.87×More than typical	281	$56,875	102
Full-service restaurants	65	10.8	1.40×More than typical	998	$24,761	9
Building finishing contractors	55	9.1	2.40×More than typical	169	$47,893	226
Gasoline stations	53	8.8	2.71×More than typical	408	$31,064	—
Lessors of real estate	52	8.6	0.70×Fewer than typical	160	$48,750	566
Automotive repair and maintenance	50	8.3	1.65×More than typical	231	$40,766	62
Landscaping services	45	7.5	2.13×More than typical	165	$52,642	155

Rank places for an industry Open Rutland County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 60,356 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $2,250 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Castleton, Vermont: $2.14 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2,250; −50% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2.14; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$2,250100%

Top recipients

MCCUE MEMORIAL CO., INC.$2,250100%

Spending by fiscal year

10KFY2017
6.2KFY2018
5.5KFY2019
-6.4KFY2020
-2.9KFY2021
1.9KFY2022
2.4KFY2023
4.1KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Other nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing · 3279$2,250100%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Castleton, Vermont, so they do not add up across cities.

Castleton, Vermont's figures are part of those of Rutland County, VT ($1.5M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.2% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Castleton is mostly in Rutland County.

See federal money in Rutland County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Castleton, Vermont is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Becca BalintD-VT · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 1.2%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Rutland County82100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Rutland, VT76

Other cities and towns in Rutland County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5011875

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends