PlainZIP

Wells River, VT · standard

ZIP Code 05081

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

550
23/sq mi
$55,804
Median income
$275,000
Median home value
25.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Wells River pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

22th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 38%
home value, US ZIPs
23
people per sq mi
66%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 05081 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 05081 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Wells River, Orange County, Vermont, home to just 550 residents across 24.1 square miles, a density of 23 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 05081 reports a modest median household income of $55,804 (33% below the Vermont average), while per-capita income is $31,852. 29.4% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 3.7%. Housing costs here run $275,000 for a typical home value (12% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,021 a month; 66.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 25.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.7, and the average commute is 29 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 05081, plus 6 more within Orange County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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 05081

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Wells River, VT

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 05081.

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 05081, Wells River, 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

550

Population

24.1

Area (sq mi)

23

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 05081?

48.7

Median Age

55.8%

Male

44.2%

Female

3.0%

Foreign-Born

White 89.4%
African American 0.0%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

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?

$55,804

Median Household Income

-33% vs state

$31,852

Per Capita Income

29.4%

Poverty Rate

3.7%

Unemployment Rate

29.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 05081 ranks nationally

Wells River, VT household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$55,804 22nd percentile higher than 22% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 61.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 25.1%

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

What does housing look like?

523

Total Housing Units

393

Occupied Units

130

Vacant Units

2.14

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 66.2%
Renter 33.8%

$275,000

Median Home Value

-12% vs state

$1,021

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 27 business establishments in ZIP 05081, employing approximately 243 people with a combined annual payroll of $13,632,000.

27

Businesses

243

Employees

$13.6M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Accommodation and food services 4 14.8%
Construction 3 11.1%
Retail trade 3 11.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 3 11.1%
Other services (except public administration) 3 11.1%

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 05081 vs 05051 →

ZIP 05081 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 05081 ranks #7 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 05081 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 05081 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
05051 Newbury, VT 1,549 3.4 mi
05042 East Ryegate, VT 605 6.4 mi
05069 South Ryegate, VT 555 4.9 mi
03765 Haverhill, NH 503 7.2 mi
03774 North Haverhill, NH 1,966 5.1 mi
03740 Bath, NH 911 5.4 mi
05050 Mc Indoe Falls, VT 146 9.0 mi
03780 Pike, NH 410 8.6 mi
05040 East Corinth, VT 471 8.1 mi
03771 Monroe, NH 754 10.7 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 Wells River, VT Vermont

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 05081 in? ▼
ZIP code 05081 (Wells River) 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 05081? ▼
ZIP code 05081 in Wells River, VT has a population of 550 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 05081? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 05081 is $55,804, which is 27% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 05081? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 05081 is $275,000, which is 1% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 05081? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 05081 is White at 89.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 05081? ▼
ZIP code 05081 has 27 business establishments employing approximately 243 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 05081? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 05081 are: Accommodation and food services (4), Construction (3), Retail trade (3). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 05081? ▼
In ZIP code 05081, 61.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 25.1% 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 05081? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 05081 is 29.1 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 05081? ▼
In ZIP code 05081, approximately 66.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 33.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 05081? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 05081 is 29.4% 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.