The Town Files

Bethel, Vermont

Community in Windsor County · population 670 (2020 Census)

Map: where Bethel is in VermontBethel
Median home
$274,100
Household income
$63,375
Jan low / Jul high
9° / 79°
Snow a year
81 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
46.6

Bethel is a community of 670 people in Windsor County, Vermont. The median home is worth $274,100, close to the typical Vermont town ($278,700). It ranks quieter than 98% of Vermont towns, better for first-time buyers than 93% of Vermont towns, hipper than 93% of Vermont towns.

Bethel in our rankings:

How Bethel ranks

Percentile among Vermont towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Vermont towns.

Bethel lifestyle rankings vs other Vermont townsRetirement68th pctFamilies26th pctQuiet98th pctWalkability53rd pctFirst-time buyers93rd pctYoung professionals23rd pctVibrancy23rd pctHip & trendy93rd pctCollege town10th pctUpscale60th pctVacation homes55th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving28th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Bethel is worth $274,100, close to the typical Vermont town ($278,700). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $63,375, which is more affordable than 25% of Vermont towns. Median rent is $1,183 a month. 66.1% of households own their home.

Bethel vs Windsor County vs typical Vermont townBethelWindsor CountyTypical Vermont townHome value$274,100$296,400$278,700Household income$63,375$77,594$76,895Monthly rent$1,183$1,118$1,117
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Vermont towns with 500+ people.
HousingBethelTypical Vermont town
Median home value$274,100$278,700
Median rent$1,183$1,117
Median household income$63,375$76,895
Home value ÷ income4.3×3.6×
Homeownership66.1%81.6%
Median year built19381976
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Bethel

PeopleBethelTypical Vermont town
Median age46.645.7
Age 65 and over14.0%22.2%
Under 1813.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher37.9%38.9%
Below the poverty line10.4%8.6%
Veterans12.0%—
Born outside the U.S.1.3%—
Work from home1.9%14.9%
Average commute28.9 min25.2 min
Homes with broadband91.8%89.3%

Weather in Bethel

July highs average 79.4°F and January lows 8.7°F. About 48.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 81.1 inches of snow (typical Vermont town: 84.3 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 177 nights at or below freezing.

Bethel monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing29°9°Jan32°9°Feb41°17°Mar54°30°Apr67°41°May75°50°Jun79°55°Jul78°54°Aug72°47°Sep59°36°Oct46°27°Nov35°16°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.518.02.818.93.416.33.83.03.95.25.14.53.95.00.53.74.94.119.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Rochester station (8.7 mi away); snow from Bethel 4 N (3.7 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Bethel since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 8 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 18, 2013.

Severe weather in Windsor County since 1996

Storm events in Windsor County since 1996 by typeHail54Heat2Flood11Lightning7Heavy Rain5Flash Flood44Strong Wind9Frost/Freeze2
NOAA Storm Events Database, Windsor County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Windsor County has been included in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 8, 2024Tropical StormEM-3609: Tropical Depression Debby
March 2, 2024Severe StormDR-4762: Severe Storm And Flooding
July 14, 2023FloodDR-4720: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
July 10, 2023FloodEM-3595: Flooding
August 22, 2021HurricaneEM-3567: Tropical Storm Henri

Jobs and pay in Windsor County

Windsor County had 23,153 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,855 a year. Unemployment was 1.8% in 2023; in Bethel itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.

Largest industries in Windsor CountyHealth care & social assistan…3,052 jobs · $59,167Hotels & restaurants2,867 jobs · $35,087Retail2,569 jobs · $43,060Manufacturing1,622 jobs · $59,494Professional & technical serv…1,375 jobs · $101,863Construction1,268 jobs · $69,228
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Windsor County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Windsor 1.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Bethel

Bethel questions

Is Bethel, Vermont a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bethel scores better for retirees than 68% of Vermont towns and quieter than 98%. 14.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.6).

How much does a house cost in Bethel?

The median owner-occupied home in Bethel is valued at $274,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $63,375, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $1,183 a month.

What is the weather like in Bethel?

July highs average 79.4°F and January lows 8.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.9 inches of precipitation a year and 81.1 inches of snow.

Does Bethel get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Bethel in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Bethel's Census boundary (GEOID 5005725). Comparisons use the median of Vermont towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.