The Town Files

Bradford, Vermont

Community in Orange County · population 907 (2020 Census)

Map: where Bradford is in VermontBradford
Median home
$226,500
Household income
$104,306
Jan low / Jul high
7° / 77°
Snow a year
66 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
42.6

Bradford is a community of 907 people in Orange County, Vermont. The median home is worth $226,500, below the typical Vermont town ($278,700). It ranks more walkable than 83% of Vermont towns, better for retirees than 80% of Vermont towns, hipper than 73% of Vermont towns.

Bradford in our rankings:

How Bradford 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.

Bradford lifestyle rankings vs other Vermont townsRetirement80th pctFamilies49th pctQuiet42nd pctWalkability83rd pctFirst-time buyers67th pctYoung professionals42nd pctVibrancy60th pctHip & trendy73rd pctCollege town45th pctUpscale68th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit58th pctDriving32nd 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 Bradford is worth $226,500, below the typical Vermont town ($278,700). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $104,306, which is more affordable than 99% of Vermont towns. Median rent is $1,039 a month. 79.9% of households own their home.

Bradford vs Orange County vs typical Vermont townBradfordOrange CountyTypical Vermont townHome value$226,500$271,300$278,700Household income$104,306$82,232$76,895Monthly rent$1,039$1,173$1,117
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Vermont towns with 500+ people.
HousingBradfordTypical Vermont town
Median home value$226,500$278,700
Median rent$1,039$1,117
Median household income$104,306$76,895
Home value ÷ income2.2×3.6×
Homeownership79.9%81.6%
Median year built19381976
Seasonal / vacation homes6.9%—

Who lives in Bradford

PeopleBradfordTypical Vermont town
Median age42.645.7
Age 65 and over33.3%22.2%
Under 1825.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher38.3%38.9%
Below the poverty line5.5%8.6%
Veterans3.4%—
Born outside the U.S.5.0%—
Work from home11.0%14.9%
Average commute27.2 min25.2 min
Homes with broadband54.8%89.3%

Weather in Bradford

July highs average 77.3°F and January lows 7.4°F. About 41.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 65.7 inches of snow (typical Vermont town: 84.3 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 173 nights at or below freezing.

Bradford monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing26°7°Jan29°9°Feb38°18°Mar52°30°Apr64°42°May73°51°Jun77°56°Jul76°54°Aug69°46°Sep56°35°Oct43°26°Nov32°15°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.417.42.113.12.813.43.32.83.53.84.44.43.54.50.73.51.33.117.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Benton 5 Sw station (9.1 mi away); snow from South Newbury (4.5 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bradford since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Vermont town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 11, 1966 about 1.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 11, 1973.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Bradford by decade01950s11960s21970s01980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 17 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 24, 1998.

Severe weather in Orange County since 1996

Storm events in Orange County since 1996 by typeHail27Heat7Flood13High Wind8Lightning7Flash Flood20Strong Wind28Winter Storm138
NOAA Storm Events Database, Orange County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Orange County has been included in 34 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, biological.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 20, 2024Severe StormDR-4810: Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
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

Jobs and pay in Orange County

Orange County had 7,898 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,315 a year. Unemployment was 2% in 2023; in Bradford itself the ACS puts it at 4.1%.

Largest industries in Orange CountyHealth care & social assistan…1,528 jobs · $59,922Retail846 jobs · $36,059Manufacturing671 jobs · $50,159Construction627 jobs · $70,702Hotels & restaurants516 jobs · $30,700Professional & technical serv…377 jobs · $104,066
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Orange County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Orange 2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Bradford

Bradford questions

Is Bradford, Vermont a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bradford scores better for retirees than 80% of Vermont towns and quieter than 42%. 33.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.6).

How much does a house cost in Bradford?

The median owner-occupied home in Bradford is valued at $226,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $104,306, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $1,039 a month.

What is the weather like in Bradford?

July highs average 77.3°F and January lows 7.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.2 inches of precipitation a year and 65.7 inches of snow.

Does Bradford get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bradford since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 11, 1966. The typical Vermont town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Bradford's Census boundary (GEOID 5007225). 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.