The Town Files

Poultney, Vermont

Town in Rutland County · population 3,020 (2020 Census)

Poultney, Vermont
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)
Median home
$206,200
Household income
$72,617
Jan low / Jul high
12° / 84°
Snow a year
78 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
34.0

Poultney is a town of 3,020 people in Rutland County, Vermont. The median home is worth $206,200, below the typical Vermont town ($278,700). It ranks more of a college town than 94% of Vermont towns, more vibrant than 85% of Vermont towns, better for young professionals than 77% of Vermont towns.

Map: where Poultney is in VermontPoultney
Poultney in our rankings:

How Poultney 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.

Poultney lifestyle rankings vs other Vermont townsRetirement44th pctFamilies22nd pctQuiet18th pctWalkability66th pctFirst-time buyers64th pctYoung professionals77th pctVibrancy85th pctHip & trendy72nd pctCollege town94th pctUpscale38th pctVacation homes48th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving76th 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 Poultney is worth $206,200, below the typical Vermont town ($278,700). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $72,617, which is more affordable than 92% of Vermont towns. Median rent is $913 a month. 71.3% of households own their home.

Poultney vs Rutland County vs typical Vermont townPoultneyRutland CountyTypical Vermont townHome value$206,200$229,400$278,700Household income$72,617$68,616$76,895Monthly rent$913$1,000$1,117
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Vermont towns with 500+ people.
HousingPoultneyTypical Vermont town
Median home value$206,200$278,700
Median rent$913$1,117
Median household income$72,617$76,895
Home value ÷ income2.8×3.6×
Homeownership71.3%81.6%
Median year built19681976
Seasonal / vacation homes24.7%—

Who lives in Poultney

PeoplePoultneyTypical Vermont town
Median age34.045.7
Age 65 and over22.8%22.2%
Under 1817.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher35.5%38.9%
Below the poverty line8.9%8.6%
Veterans5.9%—
Born outside the U.S.1.3%—
Work from home11.3%14.9%
Average commute29.2 min25.2 min
Homes with broadband79.9%89.3%

Weather in Poultney

July highs average 83.5°F and January lows 12.1°F. About 42.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 77.8 inches of snow (typical Vermont town: 84.3 in). Expect about 12 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 143 nights at or below freezing.

Poultney monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing30°12°Jan34°13°Feb43°22°Mar58°35°Apr71°47°May79°57°Jun84°61°Jul82°60°Aug74°52°Sep61°41°Oct47°31°Nov36°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.018.62.616.93.014.63.33.83.34.44.44.53.64.00.43.05.23.618.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Whitehall station (10.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Poultney since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Vermont town. The strongest, an F0, struck on July 25, 1972 about 4.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 25, 1972.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Poultney by decade01950s11960s11970s01980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
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 14 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 27, 2014.

Severe weather in Rutland County since 1996

Storm events in Rutland County since 1996 by typeHail78Heat13Flood33High Wind55Heavy Snow12Flash Flood38Strong Wind57Winter Storm206
NOAA Storm Events Database, Rutland County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 12 deaths recorded.

Rutland County has been included in 22 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 Rutland County

Rutland County had 25,313 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $58,753 a year. Unemployment was 2.4% in 2023; in Poultney itself the ACS puts it at 11.8%.

Largest industries in Rutland CountyHealth care & social assistan…4,212 jobs · $68,928Retail3,458 jobs · $40,960Hotels & restaurants3,244 jobs · $30,427Manufacturing2,555 jobs · $72,860Construction1,488 jobs · $63,365Administrative & support1,075 jobs · $53,869
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Rutland County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Rutland 2.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Poultney

Poultney questions

Is Poultney, Vermont a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Poultney scores better for retirees than 44% of Vermont towns and quieter than 18%. 22.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.0).

How much does a house cost in Poultney?

The median owner-occupied home in Poultney is valued at $206,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,617, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $913 a month.

What is the weather like in Poultney?

July highs average 83.5°F and January lows 12.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.5 inches of precipitation a year and 77.8 inches of snow.

Does Poultney get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Poultney since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on July 25, 1972. The typical Vermont town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Poultney's Census boundary (GEOID 5002156875). 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.