05251 ZIP Code — Dorset, VT

Bennington County, Vermont

ZIP code 05251 is located in Dorset, Vermont, within Bennington County. It covers approximately 41.51 square miles and serves a population of 1,330 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 802.

About ZIP code 05251

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 $426,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 94%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($98,750) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 46% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 15 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 62% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 05251 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,330

population

41.51

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

05251 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 05251

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 05251. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Dorset	Acceptable
Dorset	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

05253 East Dorset (2.6 mi) 05255 Manchester Center (6.2 mi) 05776 West Rupert (6.5 mi) 05739 Danby (7.2 mi) 05761 Pawlet (8.2 mi) 05152 Peru (8.7 mi) 05340 Bondville (9.3 mi) 05148 Londonderry (10.4 mi) 05775 West Pawlet (10.6 mi) 05250 Arlington (11.1 mi) 05161 Weston (13 mi) 05252 East Arlington (13 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,330
Population density	32 / sq mi
State FIPS	50
County FIPS	003

Geography
Land area	41.51 sq mi
Water area	0.05 sq mi
Latitude	43.2595
Longitude	-73.0600
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	42.3%	43.2%	39.3%
$50k – $100k	24.5%	30.3%	32.2%
$100k – $200k	27.3%	21.0%	22.5%
Over $200k	5.9%	5.4%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,330

Population

People per sq mi

50.1

Median age

$98,750

Median household income

$52,602

Per capita income

$426,100

Median home value

Median monthly rent

93.6%

Home ownership

9.2%

Poverty rate

1.2%

Unemployment

1,109

Housing units

61.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

106

45–54

55–59

60–64

119

65–74

108

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	239	18.0%
18 and over	1,091	82.0%
65 and over	352	26.5%
Median age	50.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.8%

Two or more races 5.9%

Asian 4.3%

Group	Count	%
White	1,194	89.8%
Two or more races	79	5.9%
Asian	57	4.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.3%	43.2%	39.3%
$50k – $100k	24.5%	30.3%	32.2%
$100k – $200k	27.3%	21.0%	22.5%
Over $200k	5.9%	5.4%	6.0%

Under $10k 7.0%

$15k–$25k 3.6%

$25k–$35k 6.1%

$35k–$50k 13.6%

$50k–$75k 12.7%

$75k–$100k 9.3%

$100k–$150k 21.0%

$150k–$200k 14.6%

$200k+ 12.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.0%
$15k–$25k	3.6%
$25k–$35k	6.1%
$35k–$50k	13.6%
$50k–$75k	12.7%
$75k–$100k	9.3%
$100k–$150k	21.0%
$150k–$200k	14.6%
$200k+	12.1%
Median income	$98,750

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.2%

$50k–$100k 1.2%

$100k–$150k 1.6%

$150k–$200k 6.7%

$200k–$300k 15.2%

$300k–$500k 47.0%

$500k–$1M 25.3%

$1M+ 1.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$426,100
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	93.6%
Renter occupied	6.4%
Vacant	53.8%
Single-family detached	92.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	6.0%
Median rooms	7.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.60

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.8%
2000–2009	12.2%
1990–1999	8.1%
1980–1989	17.3%
1970–1979	13.9%
1960–1969	8.3%
1950–1959	5.5%
1940–1949	5.2%
1939 or earlier	27.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	1.0%
2 bedrooms	22.2%
3 bedrooms	55.3%
4 bedrooms	16.4%
5+ bedrooms	4.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.6%
1 vehicle	36.9%
2 vehicles	40.3%
3 or more	22.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	2.1%
Propane / LP gas	31.3%
Fuel oil	48.3%
Wood	17.0%
Solar	1.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	287	54.4%
Cohabiting couple	42	8.0%
Male householder, no spouse	70	13.3%
Female householder, no spouse	129	24.4%
Households with children under 18	114	21.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	245	46.4%
Average household size	2.51

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	39.3%	18.8%
Married	54.1%	44.8%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.0%	11.1%
Divorced	6.7%	25.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.6%

Some HS, no diploma 1.1%

HS graduate 13.4%

Some college, no degree 20.9%

Associate's degree 2.4%

Bachelor's degree 31.8%

Graduate / professional 29.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.3%
Bachelor's or higher	61.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	28	8.5%
Kindergarten	7	2.1%
Elementary school	129	39.3%
High school	128	39.0%
College / grad school	36	11.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.5%

Retail trade 18.8%

Professional & management 13.7%

Manufacturing 12.8%

Finance & real estate 10.4%

Other services 6.0%

Construction 4.8%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Wholesale trade 3.2%

Agriculture & mining 2.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.6%

Information 1.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	46.8%
Service	4.9%
Sales & office	29.7%
Natural resources & construction	10.8%
Production & transportation	7.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.3%
Government	2.6%
Self-employed	19.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.1%
Carpool	0.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	9.2%
Work from home	15.2%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	14.5

Poverty

All people 9.2%

Under 18 years 5.4%

18 and over 10.0%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	46.0%
Retirement income	33.3%
Supplemental Security	0.8%
Cash public assistance	2.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	0.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	23.7%
High blood pressure	31.5%
High cholesterol	32.2%
Diabetes	9.3%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	30.1%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.6%
Cancer	9.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	11.1%
Binge drinking	15.1%
No physical activity	16.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.8%
Depression	23.0%
Fair or poor health	10.8%
Poor mental health	11.6%
Poor physical health	9.2%
No health insurance	6.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.9%
Visited dentist	72.8%
Cholesterol screening	93.7%
Teeth loss	10.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	127	11.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.5%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	7.8%
65 and over	23.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	74.6%
Public insurance	42.6%
No insurance	2.2%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,302	97.9%
Spanish	1	0.1%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	1	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,252	94.1%
Born in same state	1,245	93.6%
Born in different state	380	28.6%
Foreign born	7	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	78	5.9%
Not a US citizen	18	23.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	399	30%
Arab	204	15.3%
French	167	12.6%
German	17	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	14	1.1%
Polish	10	0.8%
Dutch	6	0.5%
Irish	5	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.7%
Internet access	94.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 05251

What city is ZIP code 05251 in?

ZIP code 05251 is primarily assigned to Dorset, Vermont.

What county is ZIP code 05251 in?

ZIP code 05251 falls within Bennington County, Vermont.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 05251?

62% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 05251 mostly owner-occupied?

94% of occupied units in ZIP code 05251 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 05251 have an older population?

27% of residents in ZIP code 05251 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 05251 have a large retiree population?

46% of households in ZIP code 05251 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 05251 in?

ZIP code 05251 observes the EST timezone.