Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety67#305/924
Economy68#297/925
Housing26#686/925
Health78#202/925
Healthcare92#72/923
Environment88#110/917
Education93#65/925
Infrastructure49#470/925
Community57#395/925
Leisure & amenities99#8/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Public libraries · high4.0 /10k
100/100Vermont 2.9 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · high4.4 /10k
100/100Vermont 3.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high27.6 /10k
99/100Vermont 20.8 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.4 /10k
98/100Vermont 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Food insecurity · low9.3%
98/100Vermont 9.6%United States 15.6%2022Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high864 /100k
98/100Vermont 599 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high53.3%
0/100Vermont 50.1%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.60%
6/100Vermont 1.51%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Comfortable days · low22.8%
7/100Vermont 21.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Access to exercise opportunities · low50.1%
7/100Vermont 69.9%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · low82.4%
8/100Vermont 89.7%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Injury deaths · high129 /100k
9/100Vermont 105 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Homicide rateImproving
1.7 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Violent crime rateWorsening
178 /100k (2020) → 339 /100k (2025)
+90%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
36.7% (2020 & 2021) → 53.3% (2023 & 2024)
+17 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Hot daysWorsening
1 days (2011-2020) → 2 days (2016-2025)
+62%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days
Drug overdose deathsImproving
47.7 /100k (2021) → 19.7 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−59%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
1,742 /100k (2020) → 861 /100k (2025)
−51%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k

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, Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area improved on 15 of 23 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 0 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

Arts & recreation+50%8.3 /10k → 12.4 /10k
Homicides−100%2.5 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Bachelor's++6 points38.1% → 44.0%
Traffic deaths−36%14.9 /100k → 9.6 /100k
Restaurants+17%15.5 /10k → 18.1 /10k

Declined4

Violent crime+90%178 /100k → 339 /100k
Firearm deaths+36%7.5 /100k → 10.2 /100k
Libraries−7.2%4.3 /10k → 4.0 /10k
Pharmacies−6.4%2.8 /10k → 2.7 /10k

All 23 measures

Change of every measure of Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	8.3 /10k2020	12.4 /10k2025	+50%	Improved	96%
Average commute time	22.2 min2015-2019	22.2 min2020-2024	+0.1 min	Little change	62%
Bachelor's degree or higher	38.1%2015-2019	44.0%2020-2024	+6 points	Improved	96%
Broadband subscriptions	73.5%2015-2019	82.4%2020-2024	+8.9 points	Improved	50%
Distance to an airport	56 mi2020	56 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	76%
Drug overdose deaths	32.7 /100k2020	19.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−40%	Improved	69%
Firearm deaths	7.5 /100k2020	10.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+36%	Declined	15%
Grocery stores	4.4 /10k2020	4.4 /10k2025	+1.4%	Little change	57%
Gyms and fitness centers	2.2 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	60%
High school diploma or higher	92.4%2015-2019	95.3%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Improved	78%
Homicide rate	2.5 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$49,7042019	$65,7312024	+32%	Improved	55%
New business applications	9.2 /1k2020	11.5 /1k2025	+26%	Improved	21%
Pharmacies	2.8 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	−6.4%	Declined	54%
Property crime rate	1,742 /100k2020	861 /100k2025	−51%	Improved	86%
Public libraries	4.3 /10k2019	4.0 /10k2024	−7.2%	Declined	17%
Public transit commuters	1.1%2015-2019	0.5%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Little change	26%
Rent-burdened households	52.1%2015-2019	46.4%2020-2024	−5.7 points	Improved	91%
Restaurants and bars	15.5 /10k2020	18.1 /10k2025	+17%	Improved	90%
Suicide rate	24.0 /100k2020	17.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−27%	Improved	91%
Traffic deaths	14.9 /100k2015-2019	9.6 /100k2020-2024	−36%	Improved	97%
Unemployment rate	6.2%2020	2.8%2025	−3.4 points	Improved	63%
Violent crime rate	178 /100k2020	339 /100k2025	+90%	Declined	2%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area 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, Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area itself moved +5.1 points in standing on average over the same 22 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

45,923 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59

Income

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

Household income

19,784 households (±318)

Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k16%3,139
$25k–50k18%3,634
$50k–75k17%3,384
$75k–100k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

19,784 households (±318)

Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area
United States share

Own74%14,629
Rent26%5,155

Table view

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

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

22,355 workers (±618)

Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone68%15,096
Carpool6.7%1,490
Public transit0.5%†110

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 no occupation wages for Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area.

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.

Brattleboro, VT has 1,657 employer establishments, 361 for every 10,000 residents (1.45× the US rate of 248), with 19,316 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,730. The Census Bureau also counts 5,404 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,657; 5,404 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 361; US 248
Paid employees: 19,316
Average annual pay: $46,730; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	138	30.1	1.94×More than typical	626	$75,919	528
Restaurants and other eating places	123	26.8	1.46×More than typical	1,329	$26,308	18
Ambulatory health care services	89	19.4	0.93×About typical	714	$51,944	372
Construction of buildings	81	17.6	2.33×More than typical	306	$59,503	231
Lessors of real estate	78	17	1.38×More than typical	299	$41,572	574
Services to buildings and dwellings	70	15.2	2.26×More than typical	193	$46,347	412
Full-service restaurants	63	13.7	1.79×More than typical	727	$27,770	7
Building equipment contractors	55	12	1.99×More than typical	255	$62,373	75
Schools, colleges and instruction	51	11.1	3.17×More than typical	1,564	$42,698	241
Traveler accommodation	48	10.5	5.79×More than typical	1,859	$20,116	39
Landscaping services	46	10	2.86×More than typical	121	$57,091	172
Limited-service restaurants	44	9.6	1.19×About typical	489	$24,748	9

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 45,923 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.5M on contracts performed in Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area: $33.87 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1.5M; −49% vs FY2025
Per resident: $33.87; US $1,994
Sole-source: 5.7%; US 30%
Single offer: 6.4%; 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

Top recipients

QUIDELORTHO SALES COMPANY, LLC$576.3K38%
DERAND PRECISION LLC$330.5K22%
HOUZLINE BUILDERS LLC$128.9K8.4%
TRIBALCO LLC$91.9K6.0%
HOLT GILMOUR SURVEY ASSOCIATES LLC$89K5.8%

Spending by fiscal year

665.6KFY2017
3.1MFY2018
1.5MFY2019
2.5MFY2020
2.4MFY2021
1.6MFY2022
2.4MFY2023
2.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$581.1K38%
Hardware manufacturing · 3325$189.3K12%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$128.9K8.4%
Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers · 5173$91.9K6.0%
Other specialty trade contractors · 2389$90.1K5.9%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617

Largest awards

CLINICAL CHEMICAL ANALYZERS AND REAGENTS$2.1M
QUIDELORTHO SALES COMPANY, LLC· Windham County, VT· Health & medical· Mar 2, 2023 – Dec 17, 2025· HT940623F0025
WINHALL CAMPGROUND RESTROOM RENOVATIONS, SOUTH LONDONDERRY, VT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS.$778.9K
HOUZLINE BUILDERS LLC· Windham County, VT· Construction & real property· Jun 9, 2025 – Mar 18, 2026· W912WJ25CA002
CONTRACT 68HE0121D0005, ERRS V, EMERGENCY AND RAPID RESPONSE SERVICES, EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACTION AT THE DUMMERSTON ORCHARD SITE F108$240K
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION LLC· Windham County, VT· Facilities & utilities· Sep 11, 2025 – Feb 18, 2026· 68HE0125F0028

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $341.5M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area: $7,555 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $341.5M; −6.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,555; US $12,955
Loan face value: $8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$244.9M72%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$27M7.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$14.1M4.1%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$13.7M4.0%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$9.1M2.7%
20.271 · Emergency Relief (ER) Program$7.4M2.2%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$6.6M1.9%
20.263 · Bridge Formula Program$4.3M1.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION, VERMONT AGENCY OF$20.3M5.9%
BARRE, VT
BRATTLEBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY$3.3M1.0%
BRATTLEBORO, VT
THE COPELAND CENTER FOR WELLNESS & RECOVERY INC$1.8M0.5%
BRATTLEBORO, VT
LANDMARK COLLEGE, INC$614.6K0.2%
PUTNEY, VT
INTERACTION, INC$546K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$295M86%
Federal Highway Administration$19.3M5.6%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$15.7M4.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$3.3M1.0%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

291.2MFY2021
326.7MFY2022
358.1MFY2023
352.1MFY2024
365.7MFY2025
341.5MFY2026

County aggregates

91%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Brattleboro, VT

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Windham CountyCentral county8445,204

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

BrattleboroPrincipal city7,657

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Vermont

Areas based in Vermont, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M14710

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Brattleboro, VT micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Brattleboro, VT

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Vermont

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type