05903 ZIP Code — Canaan, VT

Essex County, Vermont

ZIP code 05903 is located in Canaan, Vermont, within Essex County. It covers approximately 62.10 square miles and serves a population of 596 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 802.

About ZIP code 05903

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $135,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 90%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $57,125. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 44% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (20%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 05903 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

596

population

62.10

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

05903 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 05903

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 05903. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Canaan	Acceptable
Canaan	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

05902 Beecher Falls (5.3 mi) 05907 Norton (10.6 mi) 03576 Colebrook (10.8 mi) 05905 Guildhall (16.7 mi) 03590 North Stratford (17.3 mi) 05846 Island Pond (17.4 mi) 05833 East Charleston (19.4 mi) 03592 Pittsburg (19.4 mi) 05853 Morgan (19.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	596
Population density	10 / sq mi
State FIPS	50
County FIPS	009

Geography
Land area	62.10 sq mi
Water area	0.43 sq mi
Latitude	44.9600
Longitude	-71.5975
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	802

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.6%	53.6%	39.3%
$50k – $100k	29.3%	32.7%	32.2%
$100k – $200k	16.9%	11.9%	22.5%
Over $200k	2.2%	1.8%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

596

Population

People per sq mi

54.9

Median age

$57,125

Median household income

$39,350

Per capita income

$135,500

Median home value

$1,008

Median monthly rent

90.2%

Home ownership

7.4%

Poverty rate

5.6%

Unemployment

518

Housing units

13.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	73	12.2%
18 and over	523	87.8%
65 and over	192	32.2%
Median age	54.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 98.7%

Hispanic or Latino 0.7%

Two or more races 0.7%

Group	Count	%
White	592	98.7%
Hispanic or Latino	4	0.7%
Two or more races	4	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.6%	53.6%	39.3%
$50k – $100k	29.3%	32.7%	32.2%
$100k – $200k	16.9%	11.9%	22.5%
Over $200k	2.2%	1.8%	6.0%

Under $10k 4.4%

$10k–$15k 6.0%

$15k–$25k 13.0%

$25k–$35k 5.1%

$35k–$50k 7.6%

$50k–$75k 30.8%

$75k–$100k 13.0%

$100k–$150k 13.0%

$200k+ 7.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.4%
$10k–$15k	6.0%
$15k–$25k	13.0%
$25k–$35k	5.1%
$35k–$50k	7.6%
$50k–$75k	30.8%
$75k–$100k	13.0%
$100k–$150k	13.0%
$200k+	7.0%
Median income	$57,125

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.9%

$50k–$100k 14.4%

$100k–$150k 34.5%

$150k–$200k 10.2%

$200k–$300k 20.8%

$300k–$500k 8.5%

$500k–$1M 1.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$135,500
Median rent / month	$1,008
Owner occupied	90.2%
Renter occupied	9.8%
Vacant	42.6%
Single-family detached	86.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	6.6%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	1.93

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.8%
2010–2019	0.5%
2000–2009	12.2%
1990–1999	9.8%
1980–1989	10.4%
1970–1979	13.7%
1960–1969	8.9%
1950–1959	14.8%
1940–1949	5.1%
1939 or earlier	22.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.6%
1 bedroom	14.9%
2 bedrooms	20.2%
3 bedrooms	47.0%
4 bedrooms	10.4%
5+ bedrooms	1.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.2%
1 vehicle	29.8%
2 vehicles	48.9%
3 or more	19.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.3%
Propane / LP gas	14.3%
Fuel oil	59.0%
Wood	24.1%
No fuel used	1.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	150	47.6%
Cohabiting couple	21	6.7%
Male householder, no spouse	42	13.3%
Female householder, no spouse	102	32.4%
Households with children under 18	46	14.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	147	46.7%
Average household size	1.89

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	18.0%	17.4%
Married	66.5%	53.4%
Separated	0.0%	1.3%
Widowed	2.1%	19.3%
Divorced	13.3%	8.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.9%

Some HS, no diploma 10.0%

HS graduate 43.1%

Some college, no degree 18.7%

Associate's degree 12.5%

Bachelor's degree 10.2%

Graduate / professional 3.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.1%
Bachelor's or higher	13.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	10	10.6%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	38	40.4%
High school	18	19.1%
College / grad school	28	29.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 16.6%

Retail trade 14.8%

Construction 12.2%

Manufacturing 11.6%

Finance & real estate 9.5%

Public administration 8.3%

Professional & management 8.0%

Agriculture & mining 6.5%

Wholesale trade 4.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.3%

Transportation & utilities 2.4%

Other services 2.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.3%
Service	15.1%
Sales & office	28.8%
Natural resources & construction	19.6%
Production & transportation	9.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.0%
Government	21.1%
Self-employed	8.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.9%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.3%
Carpool	4.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.8%
Work from home	5.3%
Other means	4.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.3

Poverty

All people 7.4%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 8.4%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.1%
Retirement income	17.1%
Supplemental Security	1.3%
Cash public assistance	2.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.5%
High blood pressure	36.2%
High cholesterol	36.3%
Diabetes	11.5%
Heart disease	8.7%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	33.1%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	9.7%
Cancer	8.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.4%
Binge drinking	16.0%
No physical activity	25.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.9%
Depression	25.1%
Fair or poor health	16.7%
Poor mental health	15.0%
Poor physical health	12.9%
No health insurance	11.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.6%
Visited dentist	61.5%
Cholesterol screening	90.6%
Teeth loss	20.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	34	6.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.1%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	10.0%
65 and over	25.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	74.7%
Public insurance	50.5%
No insurance	1.2%
Uninsured under 19	2.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	576	96.6%
Spanish	31	5.4%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	31	5.4%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	554	93.0%
Born in same state	547	91.8%
Born in different state	50	8.4%
Foreign born	7	1.2%
Naturalized citizen	42	7.0%
Not a US citizen	21	50.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
German	121	20.3%
French	71	11.9%
Arab	67	11.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	50	8.4%
Norwegian	9	1.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	52.9%
Internet access	91.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 05903

What city is ZIP code 05903 in?

ZIP code 05903 is primarily assigned to Canaan, Vermont.

What county is ZIP code 05903 in?

ZIP code 05903 falls within Essex County, Vermont.

Does ZIP code 05903 have an older population?

32% of residents in ZIP code 05903 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 05903 mostly owner-occupied?

90% of occupied units in ZIP code 05903 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 05903?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 05903 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 05903 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 05903 in?

ZIP code 05903 observes the EST timezone.