05401 — Burlington, Vermont
Area Profile
Income, jobs, climate, physical risk and development data for ZIP code 05401. Its median home value runs 11% above Burlington as a whole, which is why this ZIP carries a profile of its own.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 14 sourcesUnemployment is 2.7% and median household income $65,657, putting employment conditions in the middle range of ZIP areas measured. The unemployment rate is published for Burlington, VT, which contains 05401, rather than for 05401 alone.
Development activity is both elevated and accelerating — 569 housing units permitted over the past twelve months, against 6 the year before. The permit count and 1 other measure here are published for Burlington, VT, which contains 05401, rather than for 05401 alone.
Rent takes 33% of renter income here, above the 30% threshold conventionally called cost-burdened, and the median home is 4.1 times what its owners earn.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment across Burlington, VT, which contains 05401, is 2.7%, lower than in 98% of the 3,127 measured US ZIP areas.
Employment across Burlington, VT, which contains 05401, fell 2.3% over the past year, to 23,947 employed residents.
63% of adults hold a four-year degree, higher than 94% of measured US ZIP areas.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsChittenden County, VT’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $73,658 | 59th percentileof 2,996 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftChittenden County, VT’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $75,175 | 64th percentileof 2,996 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$3,8602024 ACS 5-Year | $65,657 | Bottom 40%of 31,049 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$2,8172024 ACS 5-Year | $40,162 | Top 39%of 32,822 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±6%2024 ACS 5-Year | 11.9% | Bottom 42%of 32,846 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±1.1 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 18.4 min | Top 9%of 32,887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 62.6% | Top 6%of 33,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 43.0% | 5th percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentBurlington, VT’s figureJuly 2026 | 23,947 | Bottom 25%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)Burlington, VT’s figureJuly 2026 | −5.6% | Bottom 3%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)Burlington, VT’s figureJuly 2026 | −2.3% | Bottom 15%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceBurlington, VT’s figureJuly 2026 | 24,612 | 24th percentileof 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 84.2% | Top 24%of 32,883 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Mean annual wageBurlington-South Burlington, VT Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $74,360 | Top 21%of 2,760 | 2025 OEWS |
| Median annual wageBurlington-South Burlington, VT Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $60,020 | Top 13%of 2,760 | 2025 OEWS |
| Public transit to work ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 4.8% | 94th percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)Burlington, VT’s figureJuly 2026 | −0.4% | Top 32%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateBurlington, VT’s figureJuly 2026 | 2.7% | Top 2%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 18.0% | 80th percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Median household income, successive ACS releases
Largest occupations — Burlington-South Burlington, VT
| Occupation | People employed | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 3,550 | $37,330 |
| Registered Nurses | 3,150 | $98,330 |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,930 | $98,430 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,770 | $37,190 |
| Cashiers | 2,590 | $36,880 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,230 | $37,780 |
Searches the 40 largest occupations here that have a published wage.
Occupational employment and wages are published for metropolitan areas rather than for individual cities or ZIP areas, so these describe the wider labor market this location sits in. 2025 OEWS, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish labor-force data for ZIP areas. This is the figure for Burlington, VT, the city containing this ZIP code.
There are 11.4 students for every full-time teacher across 8 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champlain School | Burlington School District | 559 | 22.4 |
| Edmunds Middle School | Burlington School District | 356 | 9.6 |
| Lyman C. Hunt Middle School | Burlington School District | 322 | 8.9 |
| J. J. Flynn School | Burlington School District | 292 | 9.4 |
| Edmunds Elementary School | Burlington School District | 279 | 11.2 |
| C. P. Smith School | Burlington School District | 255 | 12.8 |
| Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes | Burlington School District | 213 | 11.2 |
| Integrated Arts Academy at H. O. Wheeler | Burlington School District | 201 | 8.0 |
| Burlington Technical Center | Burlington School District | 0 | — |
53.9% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Vermont’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →Prices for everything a household buys run about 1% above the national average — the Bureau of Economic Analysis index reads 100.8, against 100 for the nation. Nationally, housing drives most of the spread between places in this index; other goods vary far less.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for the Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metro Area is up 49% over five years, and up 0.8% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $8,176 a year in real estate taxes, about 1.66% of the median home value.
The typical renter household here spends 33% of its income on rent, above the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $1,665 a month.
A median home at $492,100 costs 4.1 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $121,060, above the historic benchmark of about 3 times income.
Prices here run about 1% above the national average. The spread between places is driven mostly by housing — goods vary far less — and this excludes taxes.
Published for the Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metro Area as a whole. Prices are regional — people shop, commute and rent across a metropolitan area rather than within a city boundary — so this describes the cost of living around this place better than a figure drawn to its own limits would.
The figures above are measured against 05401’s median household income of $65,657, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living indexthe Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metro Area’s figure2023 | 100.8 | Bottom 42%of 2,737 | 2023 |
| Home price change (1 year)the Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +0.8% | 15th percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +48.9% | 71st percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +88.8% | 41st percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.72024 ACS 5-Year | 4.1 | Bottom 18%of 29,275 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 31.4% | 3rd percentileof 32,750 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±5032024 ACS 5-Year | 13,722 | 90th percentileof 33,460 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent ±$492024 ACS 5-Year | $1,665 | Bottom 16%of 26,396 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$34,5692024 ACS 5-Year | $492,100 | 87th percentileof 30,812 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$7282024 ACS 5-Year | $8,176 | 98th percentileof 28,935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$17,9712024 ACS 5-Year | $121,060 | Top 16%of 29,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.19%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.66% | 88th percentileof 24,099 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 33.1% | Bottom 24%of 26,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±1072024 ACS 5-Year | 107 | 76th percentileof 33,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.8% | 46th percentileof 32,961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 2.7% | 19th percentileof 32,788 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±2042024 ACS 5-Year | 484 | 73rd percentileof 33,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures and the cost-of-living index.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
90% of the 569 units permitted over the past twelve months are in buildings of five or more homes, so new supply is concentrated in apartments and condominiums rather than detached houses. The multifamily share is published for Burlington, VT, which contains 05401, rather than for 05401 alone.
At 12.7 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is above the median for measured US ZIP areas. The permit rate is published for Burlington, VT, which contains 05401, rather than for 05401 alone.
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Franklin County, VT 483 people · 7.1% of arrivals
- Washington County, VT 361 people · 5.3% of arrivals
- Addison County, VT 299 people · 4.4% of arrivals
- Middlesex County, MA 203 people · 3.0% of arrivals
- Lamoille County, VT 165 people · 2.4% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Franklin County, VT 766 people · 11% of departures
- Washington County, VT 393 people · 5.4% of departures
- Addison County, VT 353 people · 4.8% of departures
- Lamoille County, VT 192 people · 2.6% of departures
- Grand Isle County, VT 157 people · 2.2% of departures
Based on the address on federal tax returns, compared with the same filers a year earlier. It counts people who file, and sees a move only when the address on a return changes. Domestic moves only: people arriving from abroad are left out. This is the figure for Chittenden County, VT. IRS Statistics of Income, filing years 2022–2023.
The Building Permits Survey is not published for ZIP areas. This is the figure for Burlington, VT, the city containing this ZIP code.
Weather & climate
5 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 82°F and January a low of 13°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 37.5 inches, including 87.5 inches of snow.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| 90th percentile air quality index2024 calendar year | 51 | 2024 calendar year |
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 37.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual snowfall1991-2020 Normals | 87.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 5 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Days above AQI 1002024 calendar year | 0 | 2024 calendar year |
| Median air quality index2024 calendar year | 37 | 2024 calendar year |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 52°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Air quality
A comfortable median and a bad tail are different problems. Wildfire smoke and summer ozone show up in the worst tenth of days, not in the middle of the year.
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. Air quality is measured by EPA monitors and published by county only where a monitor sits; a county without one shows nothing rather than an estimate, and a county reading is still the county’s. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, earthquake and heat wave, with inland flooding alone responsible for 72% of it. Inland flooding is independently rated low or minimal nationally, so this describes how the loss is composed, not how large that hazard is.
Overall hazard risk is lower than 93% of measured US ZIP areas.
Low or minimal exposure: avalanche, inland flooding, strong wind, tornado, wildfire, hail, drought, volcanic activity, tsunami, coastal flooding.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. ZIP values are the land-area-weighted mean of the counties the ZIP Code Tabulation Area intersects. Expected annual loss is not allocated below county level. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
These are deaths, not offenses — they say nothing about burglary, theft or assault.
Firearm deaths count every intent together, and nationally the majority are suicides rather than homicides, so the firearm figure and the homicide figure above it count some of the same deaths twice over. They overlap and should not be added together.
Death rates are crude rates — deaths divided by population, not adjusted for age — except where a count was too small for the CDC to publish and it modeled the rate, which the card marks. They come from provisional death certificate records, published by the CDC by county and not below it. So they describe the county around 05401 (Chittenden County) rather than 05401 itself. They are shown and not scored. How to read death rates.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Reported crime
- Offenses reported to police are published by department rather than by town, so AreaProfile shows a rate only on city profiles, and only where that city’s department submitted every month of a year. A ZIP area is not a jurisdiction, so no department reports for one. Burlington carries the figure where its department reported a full year. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
- School results
- Too few schools here reported proficiency for a figure to be weighted honestly. AreaProfile requires at least two reporting schools and 200 enrolled students behind a place-level rate, because below that a single small school decides the number.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. The cost-of-living index above is a price level for all consumption, not a household budget, and it excludes taxes. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
1 major airport lies within 100 miles, the nearest Plattsburgh Intl at 17 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 90.5% | Top 44%of 32,663 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 17 mi | Top 49%of 3,127 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 1 | Bottom 1%of 3,127 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 3.7% | Top 24%of 32,663 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plattsburgh Intl | PBG | 17 mi | 11,759 ft |
| Albany Intl | ALB | 123 mi | 8,500 ft |
| Griffiss Intl | RME | 139 mi | 11,820 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyData & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Demographics, Income | Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division U.S. Population Migration Data (county to county) | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Housing | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional price parities and county personal income | 2023 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | 2025 OEWS |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Safety | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Provisional county-level mortality by intent | March 2025 to February 2026; May 2025 to April 2026 |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2024-25 school year |
| Climate | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System Daily Air Quality Index by county | 2024 calendar year |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.
05401 vs Burlington
How this ZIP area compares with Burlington as a whole. Both figures come from the same ACS release, so the comparison is like for like — a gap here is a real difference between the two places, not two surveys disagreeing.
Some demographic statistics use Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, which approximate but do not exactly match USPS ZIP delivery geography. See the methodology for how AreaProfile maps between them.