The Town FilesGrand Isle, Vermont
Town in Grand Isle County · population 2,086 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $398,600
- Household income
- $100,846
- Jan low / Jul high
- 11° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 50 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 43.3
Grand Isle is a town of 2,086 people in Grand Isle County, Vermont. The median home is worth $398,600, above the typical Vermont town ($278,700). It ranks more upscale than 90% of Vermont towns, better for families than 87% of Vermont towns, better for a vacation home than 83% of Vermont towns.
How Grand Isle 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Grand Isle is worth $398,600, above the typical Vermont town ($278,700). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $100,846, which is more affordable than 37% of Vermont towns. Median rent is $1,363 a month. 86.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Grand Isle | Typical Vermont town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $398,600 | $278,700 |
| Median rent | $1,363 | $1,117 |
| Median household income | $100,846 | $76,895 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.0× | 3.6× |
| Homeownership | 86.4% | 81.6% |
| Median year built | 1983 | 1976 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 20.0% | — |
Who lives in Grand Isle
| People | Grand Isle | Typical Vermont town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.3 | 45.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.6% | 22.2% |
| Under 18 | 19.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.0% | 38.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 8.6% |
| Veterans | 4.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.1% | — |
| Work from home | 18.3% | 14.9% |
| Average commute | 31.9 min | 25.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.7% | 89.3% |
Weather in Grand Isle
July highs average 81.5°F and January lows 11.3°F. About 35.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 50.1 inches of snow (typical Vermont town: 84.3 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 141 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Grand Isle since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Vermont town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 3, 1970 about 7.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 10, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 13 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 16, 2007.
Severe weather in Grand Isle County since 1996
Grand Isle County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 8, 2024 | Tropical Storm | EM-3609: Tropical Depression Debby |
| July 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4720: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| July 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3595: Flooding |
| March 20, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4695: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| August 22, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3567: Tropical Storm Henri |
Jobs and pay in Grand Isle County
Grand Isle County had 1,383 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,181 a year. Unemployment was 2.1% in 2023; in Grand Isle itself the ACS puts it at 0.3%.
Public schools in Grand Isle
1 public school with 172 students, about 14.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Isle School | PK-6 | 172 | 14.3 |
Towns near Grand Isle
- Cumberland Head, NY4.8 mi · 1,735 people · home $205,200
- South Hero, VT6.2 mi · 1,674 people · home $558,300
- Plattsburgh, NY8.0 mi · 19,841 people · home $195,900
- Georgia, VT8.4 mi · 4,845 people · home $360,300
- Milton, VT8.4 mi · 10,723 people · home $372,500
- North Hero, VT9.0 mi · 939 people · home $451,400
- St. Albans, VT10.0 mi · 6,988 people · home $363,300
- Plattsburgh West, NY10.4 mi · 1,382 people · home $60,200
Grand Isle questions
Is Grand Isle, Vermont a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Grand Isle scores better for retirees than 62% of Vermont towns and quieter than 70%. 15.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.3).
How much does a house cost in Grand Isle?
The median owner-occupied home in Grand Isle is valued at $398,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $100,846, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,363 a month.
What is the weather like in Grand Isle?
July highs average 81.5°F and January lows 11.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.0 inches of precipitation a year and 50.1 inches of snow.
Does Grand Isle get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Grand Isle since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 3, 1970. The typical Vermont town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)