PlainZIP

Chelsea, VT · standard

ZIP Code 05038

Orange County, Vermont - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

1,230
12/sq mi
$62,000
Median income
$254,800
Median home value
28.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Chelsea pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

33th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 41%
home value, US ZIPs
12
people per sq mi
83%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 05038 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 05038 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chelsea, Orange County, Vermont, home to just 1,230 residents across 102.5 square miles, a density of 12 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 05038 reports a modest median household income of $62,000 (25% below the Vermont average), while per-capita income is $33,627. Local economic indicators show a 13.4% poverty rate alongside 0.9% unemployment. Housing costs here run $254,800 for a typical home value (19% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,567 a month; 82.7% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 28.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 55.1, and the average commute is 30 minutes. To put 05038 in local context, 9 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Orange County, for a geography-aware comparison.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 05038

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Chelsea, VT

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 05038.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 05038, Chelsea, VT · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

1,230

Population

102.5

Area (sq mi)

12

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 05038?

55.1

Median Age

50.9%

Male

49.1%

Female

3.1%

Foreign-Born

White 92.3%
African American 1.4%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.5%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$62,000

Median Household Income

-25% vs state

$33,627

Per Capita Income

13.4%

Poverty Rate

0.9%

Unemployment Rate

30.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 05038 ranks nationally

Chelsea, VT household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$62,000 33rd percentile higher than 33% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 66.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 28.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

803

Total Housing Units

600

Occupied Units

203

Vacant Units

2.25

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 82.7%
Renter 17.3%

$254,800

Median Home Value

-19% vs state

$1,567

Median Rent

1970

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 34 business establishments in ZIP 05038, employing approximately 189 people with a combined annual payroll of $7,202,000.

34

Businesses

189

Employees

$7.2M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 7 20.6%
Construction 6 17.6%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 4 11.8%
Other services (except public administration) 4 11.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3 8.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 05038 vs 05077 →

ZIP 05038 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 05038 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 05038 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 05038 ranks #null of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
05077 Tunbridge, VT 1,215 6.4 mi
05675 Washington, VT 1,064 5.8 mi
05041 East Randolph, VT 354 5.1 mi
05036 Brookfield, VT 1,037 6.5 mi
05654 Graniteville, VT 970 10.1 mi
05079 Vershire, VT 730 7.1 mi
05072 Strafford, VT 526 8.6 mi
05061 Randolph Center, VT 1,679 7.7 mi
05679 Williamstown, VT 3,296 8.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Orange County

05060 standard
Randolph, VT
Pop: 4,415
05679 standard
Williamstown, VT
Pop: 3,296
05033 standard
Bradford, VT
Pop: 2,744
05045 standard
Fairlee, VT
Pop: 1,758
05061 standard
Randolph Center, VT
Pop: 1,679
05051 standard
Newbury, VT
Pop: 1,549

Related Areas

Orange County Chelsea, VT Vermont

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 05038 in? ▼
ZIP code 05038 (Chelsea) is located in Orange County, Vermont. Orange County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/orange-vt.
What is the population of ZIP code 05038? ▼
ZIP code 05038 in Chelsea, VT has a population of 1,230 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 05038? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 05038 is $62,000, which is 19% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 05038? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 05038 is $254,800, which is 8% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 05038? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 05038 is White at 92.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 05038? ▼
ZIP code 05038 has 34 business establishments employing approximately 189 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 05038? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 05038 are: Health care and social assistance (7), Construction (6), Professional, scientific, and technical services (4). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 05038? ▼
In ZIP code 05038, 66.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 28.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 05038? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 05038 is 30.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 05038? ▼
In ZIP code 05038, approximately 82.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 05038? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 05038 is 13.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.