Franklin County, Vermont

Franklin County features property and violent crime rates that sit moderately below nationwide levels, although concentrated property offenses and drug enforcement activities are primarily clustered in its denser commercial hubs like the City of St. Albans. Rural communities throughout the county report very low violent crime incidents.

School performance varies across the county's public supervisory unions, with smaller community schools such as Montgomery Center School and Franklin Central School receiving strong local academic ratings, while larger unified high school districts like Bellows Free Academy demonstrate average statewide performance.

Wildfire risk is minimal across the region, but riverine flooding along the Missisquoi and Lamoille River watersheds as well as low-lying Lake Champlain shores presents a localized threat, with approximately 9% of properties considered at risk of severe flood damage over a 30-year span.

Franklin County's economy is anchored by light manufacturing, agricultural processing, dairy farming, and regional public healthcare centered in St. Albans, supported by proximity and highway access to the Burlington metro employment center.

Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. Federal (United States (federal)) — Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Superfund Liens: Establishes a statutory federal lien upon the parcel running in favor of the United States for all unrecovered cleanup costs, damages, and statutory interest incurred by the EPA. Rate and formula: Direct Dollar-for-Dollar Reimbursement (Lien Amount = Incurred Response Costs + Administrative Costs + Federal (United States (federal)) — Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) Withholding: Imposes an affirmative withholding tax obligation on the transferee (buyer) to withhold and remit tax on the gross amount realized (gross sales price). The statutory base withholding rate is 15% of the total purchase price (Formula: Tax = Amount Realized × 15%). Exemptions and reductions: (1) 0% wit Federal (United States (federal)) — Federal General Tax Lien Encumbrance: Under IRC § 6321, a statutory lien arises automatically as of the date of assessment and attaches to all real property owned or acquired by the taxpayer.

Outdoor recreation is anchored by Lake Champlain access, Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail, and direct access to Jay Peak Resort and Green Mountain winter trail systems.

The rental market remains thin and tight across the county, with low institutional supply driving steady occupancy in multi-family pockets around St. Albans and Swanton.

The regional economy mixes manufacturing, food production, healthcare, and public sector employment, led by anchors such as Northwestern Medical Center and Perrigo, alongside significant dairy agriculture.

Interstate 89 traverses north-south through Franklin County, linking the area directly to Burlington and the Canadian border, supplemented by the Amtrak Vermonter service terminating in St. Albans.

Development pace is deliberate and constrained by Vermont Act 250 environmental and land-use regulations, keeping residential growth concentrated around designated village and downtown growth centers.

Vermont operates through town-level assessment by local listers rather than a single county appraisal district; values are reconciled to fair market value via state-calculated Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) ratios.

Parcels are subject to local municipal property taxes and state education tax rates, alongside occasional incorporated village district levies such as Enosburg Falls or Swanton Village.

Property insurance is generally stable compared to national coastal regions, though structures located near inland waterways and low-lying lake frontage face heightened flood insurance scrutiny and premium pressure.