ADDISON COUNTY — According to recently released 2010 U.S. Census data, 15 Addison County towns gained residents in the past decade, while the other eight communities’ population bases shrank. The numbers also show that the population on the whole is getting older.
Middlebury, Monkton, Leicester, Ferrisburgh and Bristol saw the greatest increase in numbers in terms of overall population. (See chart below.)
Leicester saw the highest percentage increase, followed by Monkton, Ripton, Orwell and Lincoln.
For a town by town chart of 2010 census statistics click here.
Goshen saw a dramatic population decline, while numbers in Vergennes, Hancock and Starksboro also dropped significantly.
Overall, the county population grew by 2.3 percent between 2000 and 2010, from 35,974 to 36,821.
That modest increase largely tracks with the state’s rate of growth, which stood at 2.8 percent over the decade. In 2010, Vermont had 625,741 residents, up from 608,827 10 years before.
Census data also showed an increasingly aging population: Addison County’s median age rose overall by more than five years. Each county town’s median age increased by at least 1.6 years, with a high of 9.5 years recorded in Waltham.
POPULATION DATA
According to the 2010 Census, Middlebury easily gained the most residents, 313, for a total of 8,496. Middlebury’s population more than doubles that of the second-largest county town, Bristol, which gained 106 residents — the fifth most of the decade — for a total of 3,894.
The other top gainers in numbers of residents between 2000 and 2010 were:
•  Monkton, 221 residents to 1,980.
•  Leicester, 126 residents to 1,100.
•  Ferrisburgh, 118 residents to 2,775.
Because of the decline in Vergennes’ population, Ferrisburgh is now the county’s third-largest community, with Vergennes in fourth. Monkton overtook Starksboro to become the county’s fifth-largest town.
The top gainers in percentage terms were:
•  Leicester, 12.9 percent.
•  Monkton, 12.6 percent.
•  Ripton, 5.7 percent (556 to 588).
•  Orwell, 5.5 percent (1,185 to 1,250).
•  Lincoln, 4.7 percent (1,214 to 1,271).
The towns that lost population were Addison, Bridport, Goshen, Granville, Hancock, Panton, Starksboro and Vergennes.
Granville and Panton lost a statistically insignificant five residents each, while the declines in the other communities ranged from 17 in Bridport to 153 in Vergennes.
The top decliners in numbers of residents were:
•  Vergennes, 153 (2,741 to 2,588).
•  Starksboro, 121 (1,898 to 1,777).
•  Goshen, 63 (227 to 164).
•  Hancock, 59 (382 to 323).
Goshen’s decrease of 27.7 percent was easily the largest in percentage terms.
Other significant drops in percentage terms were Hancock (15.4 percent), Starksboro (6.3 percent) and Vergennes (5.9 percent).
AGING POPULATION
In 2000, Addison County was younger than Vermont as a whole, according to Census data from that year.
That trend still holds true, according to 2010 Census data, but the gap has narrowed dramatically.
In 2000, Vermont’s median age — the age where half the residents are older and half are younger — stood at 37.7 years, while Addison County’s median age was 36.1.
By 2010, the statewide median age had increased to 41.5, and the county’s was right behind at 41.3, meaning Addison County’s median age rose 5.2 years during the decade.
The county’s oldest towns are Goshen, 50.7 median age; Waltham, 48.6 median age; and Hancock, 48.3 median age.
Two of those towns are among those in the county that saw the most dramatic increases in their median ages:
•  Waltham, 9.5 years (39.1 years to 48.6).
•  Addison, 8 years (35.9 to 43.9).
•  Goshen, 7.5 years (43.2 to 50.7).
•  Bridport, 7.4 years (36.5 to 43.9).
The county’s youngest towns by median age are Middlebury, 28.2; Vergennes, 36.9; and Starksboro, 40.2.
The towns with the most stable populations, as defined by the lowest increases in median age, are:
•  Middlebury, 1.6 years (26.6 to 28.2).
•  Whiting, 2.3 years (39.2 to 41.5).
•  Panton, 3.4 years (41.3 to 44.7).
Intern Christian Woodard contributed to this report. Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at [email protected].
Town by town rundown:
Town                         2000                             2010                               +/-                                 %
Addison                     1,393                            1,371                              -23                               -1.5
Bridport                     1,235                            1,218                              -17                               -1.4
Bristol                       3,788                            3,894                             +106                             +2.8
Cornwall                    1,136                            1,185                              +49                              +4.3
Ferrisburgh                 2,657                            2,775                             +118                             +4.4
Goshen                       227                               164                               -63                              -27.7
Granville                     303                               298                                -5                                -1.6
Hancock                      382                               323                               -59                              -15.4
Leicester                      974                              1,100                             +126                             +12.9
Lincoln                      1,214                            1,271                              +57                              +4.7
Middlebury                8,183                            8,496                             +313                             +3.8
Monkton                    1,759                            1,980                             +221                             +12.6
New Haven                 1,666                            1,727                              +61                              +3.7
Orwell                       1,185                            1,250                              +65                              +5.5
Panton                        682                               677                                -5                                -.07
Ripton                        556                               588                               +32                              +5.7
Salisbury                   1,090                            1,136                              +46                              +4.2
Shoreham                   1,222                            1,265                              +43                              +3.5
Starksboro                  1,898                            1,777                             -121                              -6.3
Vergennes                  2,741                            2,588                             -153                              -5.9
Waltham                     479                               486                                +7                               +1.4
Weybridge                   824                               833                                +9                               +1.1
Whiting                      380                               419                               +39                             +10.0