PlainZIP

Dorset, VT · standard

ZIP Code 05251

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

1,350
15/sq mi
$151,163
Median income
$567,900
Median home value
69.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Dorset pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 4%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 10%
home value, US ZIPs
15
people per sq mi
93%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 05251 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 05251 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Dorset, Bennington County, Vermont, home to just 1,350 residents across 90.6 square miles, a density of 15 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 05251 skews affluent, with a median household income of $151,163 (82% above the Vermont average), while per-capita income is $90,734. Local economic indicators show a 10.0% poverty rate alongside 1.3% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $567,900 (81% above the state average) with median rent at $1,942 per month, and 93.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 69.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.5, and the average commute is -. We also surface 8 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Bennington County, so you can benchmark 05251 against its immediate geography rather than a 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 05251

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Dorset, VT

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 05251.

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 05251, Dorset, 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

1,350

Population

90.6

Area (sq mi)

15

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 05251?

43.5

Median Age

57.9%

Male

42.1%

Female

5.2%

Foreign-Born

White 94.9%
African American 1.1%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.7%
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?

$151,163

Median Household Income

+82% vs state

$90,734

Per Capita Income

10.0%

Poverty Rate

1.3%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 05251 ranks nationally

Dorset, VT household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$151,163 Top 4% higher than 96% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). This entry sits in this band. $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 79.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 69.8%

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

What does housing look like?

1,177

Total Housing Units

638

Occupied Units

539

Vacant Units

2.62

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 93.1%
Renter 6.9%

$567,900

Median Home Value

+81% vs state

$1,942

Median Rent

1971

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 65 business establishments in ZIP 05251, employing approximately 444 people with a combined annual payroll of $23,445,000.

65

Businesses

444

Employees

$23.4M

Annual Payroll

11

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 12 18.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 8 12.3%
Manufacturing 6 9.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 6 9.2%
Other services (except public administration) 5 7.7%
Retail trade 4 6.2%
Finance and insurance 4 6.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 4 6.2%
Accommodation and food services 4 6.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 4.6%
Educational services 3 4.6%

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 05251 vs 05253 →

ZIP 05251 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 05251 ranks #4 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 05251 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 05251 ranks the highest 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
05253 East Dorset, VT 685 3.7 mi
05255 Manchester Center, VT 4,121 6.6 mi
05254 Manchester, VT 273 7.3 mi
05776 West Rupert, VT 714 6.0 mi
05739 Danby, VT 1,407 6.3 mi
05761 Pawlet, VT 1,000 8.0 mi
05340 Bondville, VT 763 9.7 mi
05250 Arlington, VT 3,408 11.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Bennington County

05201 standard
Bennington, VT
Pop: 14,851
05255 standard
Manchester Center, VT
Pop: 4,121
05250 standard
Arlington, VT
Pop: 3,408
05261 standard
Pownal, VT
Pop: 2,738
05257 standard
North Bennington, VT
Pop: 2,718
05262 standard
Shaftsbury, VT
Pop: 2,547

Related Areas

Bennington County Dorset, VT Vermont

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 05251 in? ▼
ZIP code 05251 (Dorset) is located in Bennington County, Vermont. Bennington County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/bennington-vt.
What is the population of ZIP code 05251? ▼
ZIP code 05251 in Dorset, VT has a population of 1,350 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 05251? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 05251 is $151,163, which is 98% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 05251? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 05251 is $567,900, which is 104% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 05251? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 05251 is White at 94.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 05251? ▼
ZIP code 05251 has 65 business establishments employing approximately 444 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 05251? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 05251 are: Construction (12), Professional, scientific, and technical services (8), Manufacturing (6). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 05251? ▼
In ZIP code 05251, 79.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 69.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 05251? ▼
In ZIP code 05251, approximately 93.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 6.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 05251? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 05251 is 10.0% 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.