Northfield, Vermont

Community in Washington County · population 3,757 (2020 Census)

Median home: $241,400
Household income: $60,789
Jan low / Jul high: 6° / 81°
Snow a year: 76 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 2
Median age: 30.1

Northfield is a community of 3,757 people in Washington County, Vermont. The median home is worth $241,400, below the typical Vermont town ($278,700). It ranks better for young professionals than 99% of Vermont towns, more of a college town than 97% of Vermont towns, hipper than 88% of Vermont towns.

Northfield in our rankings:

How Northfield 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.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Northfield is worth $241,400, below the typical Vermont town ($278,700). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $60,789, which is more affordable than 37% of Vermont towns. Median rent is $997 a month. 56.6% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Vermont towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Northfield	Typical Vermont town
Median home value	$241,400	$278,700
Median rent	$997	$1,117
Median household income	$60,789	$76,895
Home value ÷ income	4.0×	3.6×
Homeownership	56.6%	81.6%
Median year built	1938	1976
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Northfield

People	Northfield	Typical Vermont town
Median age	30.1	45.7
Age 65 and over	16.3%	22.2%
Under 18	11.1%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	30.6%	38.9%
Below the poverty line	17.4%	8.6%
Veterans	5.3%	—
Born outside the U.S.	2.2%	—
Work from home	10.8%	14.9%
Average commute	25.6 min	25.2 min
Homes with broadband	89.8%	89.3%

Weather in Northfield

July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 6.3°F. About 44.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 75.8 inches of snow (typical Vermont town: 84.3 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 181 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Northfield station (1.2 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Northfield since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Vermont town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on April 16, 2026 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 16, 2026.

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 30 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on May 26, 2011.

Severe weather in Washington County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Washington County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Washington County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, biological.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
August 20, 2024	Severe Storm	DR-4810: Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
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

Jobs and pay in Washington County

Washington County had 33,484 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $67,784 a year. Unemployment was 2% in 2023; in Northfield itself the ACS puts it at 3.1%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Northfield

Northfield, VT
1.7 mi · 5,918 people · home $274,400
Berlin, VT
4.7 mi · 2,849 people · home $273,600
Williamstown, VT
6.2 mi · 3,515 people · home $234,900
Barre, VT
8.2 mi · 8,491 people · home $210,400
Montpelier, VT
9.3 mi · 8,074 people · home $375,100
Barre, VT
9.4 mi · 7,923 people · home $281,400
East Montpelier, VT
12.7 mi · 2,598 people · home $378,700
Randolph, VT
15.7 mi · 4,774 people · home $278,700

Northfield questions

Is Northfield, Vermont a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Northfield scores better for retirees than 77% of Vermont towns and quieter than 12%. 16.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 30.1).

How much does a house cost in Northfield?

The median owner-occupied home in Northfield is valued at $241,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $60,789, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $997 a month.

What is the weather like in Northfield?

July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 6.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.7 inches of precipitation a year and 75.8 inches of snow.

Does Northfield get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Northfield since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on April 16, 2026. The typical Vermont town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Northfield's Census boundary (GEOID 5050200). 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.

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)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.