05261 ZIP Code — Pownal, VT

Bennington County, Vermont

ZIP code 05261 is located in Pownal, Vermont, within Bennington County. It covers approximately 29.00 square miles and serves a population of 2,354 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 802.

About ZIP code 05261

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $171,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 92%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $71,711. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 23% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 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 24 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 25% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 05261 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,354

population

29.00

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

05261 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 05261

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 05261. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Pownal	Acceptable
Pownal	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

05260 North Pownal (3.5 mi) 05352 Stamford (7 mi) 01247 North Adams (8.6 mi) 12138 Petersburg (8.8 mi) 01267 Williamstown (9.6 mi) 05201 Bennington (9.8 mi) 12022 Berlin (9.9 mi) 12090 Hoosick Falls (10.5 mi) 01220 Adams (11.6 mi) 05350 Readsboro (12.2 mi) 05257 North Bennington (12.9 mi) 12052 Cropseyville (13.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,354
Population density	81 / sq mi
State FIPS	50
County FIPS	003

Geography
Land area	29.00 sq mi
Water area	0.23 sq mi
Latitude	42.7789
Longitude	-73.2146
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	34.7%	43.2%	39.3%
$50k – $100k	48.6%	30.3%	32.2%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	21.0%	22.5%
Over $200k	4.3%	5.4%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,354

Population

People per sq mi

41.0

Median age

$71,711

Median household income

$33,194

Per capita income

$171,700

Median home value

Median monthly rent

92.0%

Home ownership

7.0%

Poverty rate

13.2%

Unemployment

868

Housing units

24.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

104

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

138

25–34

104

177

35–44

134

169

45–54

127

55–59

149

60–64

113

179

65–74

136

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	578	24.6%
18 and over	1,776	75.4%
65 and over	477	20.3%
Median age	41.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.3%

Hispanic or Latino 2.2%

Other race 1.5%

Two or more races 0.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	2,293	95.3%
Hispanic or Latino	53	2.2%
Other race	36	1.5%
Two or more races	17	0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	34.7%	43.2%	39.3%
$50k – $100k	48.6%	30.3%	32.2%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	21.0%	22.5%
Over $200k	4.3%	5.4%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.9%

$10k–$15k 0.9%

$15k–$25k 6.4%

$25k–$35k 7.5%

$35k–$50k 10.1%

$50k–$75k 23.0%

$75k–$100k 21.5%

$100k–$150k 20.1%

$150k–$200k 3.1%

$200k+ 3.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.9%
$10k–$15k	0.9%
$15k–$25k	6.4%
$25k–$35k	7.5%
$35k–$50k	10.1%
$50k–$75k	23.0%
$75k–$100k	21.5%
$100k–$150k	20.1%
$150k–$200k	3.1%
$200k+	3.5%
Median income	$71,711

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 22.7%

$100k–$150k 19.3%

$150k–$200k 15.2%

$200k–$300k 14.3%

$300k–$500k 15.6%

$500k–$1M 10.7%

$1M+ 2.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$171,700
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	92.0%
Renter occupied	8.0%
Vacant	14.6%
Single-family detached	65.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	33.2%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.92

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.9%
2000–2009	11.6%
1990–1999	8.9%
1980–1989	9.8%
1970–1979	25.9%
1960–1969	11.8%
1950–1959	6.1%
1940–1949	12.3%
1939 or earlier	12.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.1%
1 bedroom	4.5%
2 bedrooms	29.8%
3 bedrooms	42.4%
4 bedrooms	16.5%
5+ bedrooms	4.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.3%
1 vehicle	32.3%
2 vehicles	38.4%
3 or more	26.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	1.9%
Propane / LP gas	8.8%
Fuel oil	56.4%
Wood	16.2%
No fuel used	2.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	396	49.7%
Cohabiting couple	65	8.2%
Male householder, no spouse	191	24.0%
Female householder, no spouse	144	18.1%
Households with children under 18	243	30.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	320	40.2%
Average household size	2.95

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	39.7%	18.5%
Married	34.9%	62.0%
Separated	2.7%	1.3%
Widowed	8.6%	9.5%
Divorced	14.1%	8.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.9%

Some HS, no diploma 3.9%

HS graduate 33.5%

Some college, no degree 25.4%

Associate's degree 11.7%

Bachelor's degree 14.5%

Graduate / professional 10.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.2%
Bachelor's or higher	24.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	18	3.8%
Kindergarten	70	14.6%
Elementary school	215	44.9%
High school	82	17.1%
College / grad school	94	19.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.7%

Construction 17.1%

Professional & management 13.9%

Manufacturing 12.9%

Retail trade 11.0%

Agriculture & mining 6.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.8%

Finance & real estate 4.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.4%
Service	15.2%
Sales & office	20.1%
Natural resources & construction	15.3%
Production & transportation	15.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.2%
Government	14.1%
Self-employed	12.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.2%
Carpool	9.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	13.2%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.3

Poverty

All people 7.0%

Under 18 years 5.0%

18 and over 7.6%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 16.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	46.2%
Retirement income	24.9%
Supplemental Security	9.2%
Cash public assistance	3.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	22.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.4%
High blood pressure	30.3%
High cholesterol	29.6%
Diabetes	9.9%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	10.9%
Arthritis	28.3%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.1%
Binge drinking	17.4%
No physical activity	21.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.7%
Depression	27.8%
Fair or poor health	15.2%
Poor mental health	15.8%
Poor physical health	11.8%
No health insurance	10.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.7%
Visited dentist	60.6%
Cholesterol screening	88.5%
Teeth loss	17.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	222	12.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.4%
Under 18	9.7%
18–64 years	18.6%
65 and over	28.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	59.8%
Public insurance	52.9%
No insurance	1.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,248	95.5%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,354	100.0%
Born in same state	2,340	99.4%
Born in different state	975	41.4%
Foreign born	14	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	401	17%
Italian	270	11.5%
German	202	8.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	161	6.8%
Polish	30	1.3%
Irish	14	0.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	33.8%
Internet access	88.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 05261

What city is ZIP code 05261 in?

ZIP code 05261 is primarily assigned to Pownal, Vermont.

What county is ZIP code 05261 in?

ZIP code 05261 falls within Bennington County, Vermont.

Is ZIP code 05261 mostly owner-occupied?

92% of occupied units in ZIP code 05261 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 05261 have a large retiree population?

46% of households in ZIP code 05261 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 05261 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 05261 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 05261?

The median home value in ZIP code 05261 is $171,700.

What timezone is ZIP code 05261 in?

ZIP code 05261 observes the EST timezone.