05081 ZIP Code — Wells River, VT

Orange County, Vermont

ZIP code 05081 is located in Wells River, Vermont, within Orange County. It covers approximately 19.46 square miles and serves a population of 553 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 802.

About ZIP code 05081

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 $174,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 69%.

Median household income is $40,750. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 20% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 57% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

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

College attainment at 21% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 23%.

Overall, ZIP code 05081 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

553

population

19.46

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

05081 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 05081

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 05081. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wells River	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

05069 South Ryegate (3.9 mi) 05051 Newbury (4.3 mi) 05042 East Ryegate (5.2 mi) 03740 Bath (5.5 mi) 03774 North Haverhill (6.1 mi) 03765 Haverhill (7.1 mi) 05076 Topsham (7.6 mi) 05040 East Corinth (7.9 mi) 03780 Pike (9 mi) 05033 Bradford (9.8 mi) 03785 Woodsville (10 mi) 03771 Monroe (10.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	553
Population density	28 / sq mi
State FIPS	50
County FIPS	017

Geography
Land area	19.46 sq mi
Water area	0.17 sq mi
Latitude	44.1386
Longitude	-72.0879
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	56.2%	38.1%	39.3%
$50k – $100k	35.7%	36.4%	32.2%
$100k – $200k	6.5%	22.0%	22.5%
Over $200k	1.6%	3.6%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

553

Population

People per sq mi

46.7

Median age

$40,750

Median household income

$26,488

Per capita income

$174,000

Median home value

$788

Median monthly rent

69.2%

Home ownership

22.4%

Poverty rate

6.7%

Unemployment

319

Housing units

20.8%

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	125	22.6%
18 and over	428	77.4%
65 and over	140	25.3%
Median age	46.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 75.5%

Hispanic or Latino 8.4%

Other race 7.6%

Two or more races 4.5%

Asian 2.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%

Group	Count	%
White	456	75.5%
Hispanic or Latino	51	8.4%
Other race	46	7.6%
Two or more races	27	4.5%
Asian	17	2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	1.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.2%	38.1%	39.3%
$50k – $100k	35.7%	36.4%	32.2%
$100k – $200k	6.5%	22.0%	22.5%
Over $200k	1.6%	3.6%	6.0%

Under $10k 4.4%

$10k–$15k 9.6%

$15k–$25k 20.0%

$25k–$35k 10.4%

$35k–$50k 8.4%

$50k–$75k 22.8%

$75k–$100k 9.2%

$100k–$150k 7.2%

$150k–$200k 6.8%

$200k+ 1.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.4%
$10k–$15k	9.6%
$15k–$25k	20.0%
$25k–$35k	10.4%
$35k–$50k	8.4%
$50k–$75k	22.8%
$75k–$100k	9.2%
$100k–$150k	7.2%
$150k–$200k	6.8%
$200k+	1.2%
Median income	$40,750

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.7%

$50k–$100k 12.1%

$100k–$150k 16.2%

$150k–$200k 22.5%

$200k–$300k 18.5%

$300k–$500k 22.5%

$500k–$1M 6.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$174,000
Median rent / month	$788
Owner occupied	69.2%
Renter occupied	30.8%
Vacant	36.9%
Single-family detached	80.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	2.0%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.50

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.0%
2000–2009	7.8%
1990–1999	7.8%
1980–1989	9.3%
1970–1979	14.6%
1960–1969	4.3%
1950–1959	2.5%
1940–1949	7.3%
1939 or earlier	44.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.3%
1 bedroom	10.1%
2 bedrooms	25.0%
3 bedrooms	38.6%
4 bedrooms	17.9%
5+ bedrooms	4.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	19.2%
1 vehicle	33.6%
2 vehicles	29.6%
3 or more	17.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.8%
Electricity	4.0%
Propane / LP gas	22.0%
Fuel oil	46.0%
Wood	23.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	87	34.8%
Cohabiting couple	40	16.0%
Male householder, no spouse	57	22.8%
Female householder, no spouse	66	26.4%
Households with children under 18	57	22.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	108	43.2%
Average household size	2.21

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.5%	35.1%
Married	41.7%	37.7%
Separated	1.3%	0.0%
Widowed	4.8%	15.6%
Divorced	23.7%	11.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.5%

Some HS, no diploma 6.3%

HS graduate 44.4%

Some college, no degree 15.3%

Associate's degree 4.8%

Bachelor's degree 12.5%

Graduate / professional 8.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.2%
Bachelor's or higher	20.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	13	8.9%
Kindergarten	2	1.4%
Elementary school	64	43.8%
High school	40	27.4%
College / grad school	27	18.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.8%

Construction 13.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.4%

Other services 12.0%

Agriculture & mining 7.7%

Public administration 7.2%

Wholesale trade 6.2%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Finance & real estate 3.8%

Manufacturing 1.9%

Professional & management 1.9%

Retail trade 1.4%

Information 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.7%
Service	32.5%
Sales & office	6.7%
Natural resources & construction	19.6%
Production & transportation	12.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	59.3%
Government	18.2%
Self-employed	21.5%
Unpaid family workers	1.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.4%
Carpool	11.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.5%
Work from home	9.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.4

Poverty

All people 22.4%

Under 18 years 36.0%

18 and over 18.5%

Married-couple families 3.4%

Female-led households 79.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	56.8%
Retirement income	31.6%
Supplemental Security	4.0%
Cash public assistance	5.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	20.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.7%
High blood pressure	30.5%
High cholesterol	30.7%
Diabetes	9.3%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	27.5%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.3%
Binge drinking	18.2%
No physical activity	21.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.8%
Depression	25.1%
Fair or poor health	14.2%
Poor mental health	15.1%
Poor physical health	11.2%
No health insurance	10.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.1%
Visited dentist	60.4%
Cholesterol screening	87.4%
Teeth loss	17.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	37	8.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	23.1%
Under 18	8.0%
18–64 years	19.8%
65 and over	43.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.1%
Public insurance	60.4%
No insurance	2.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	547	98.9%
Spanish	26	4.8%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	26	4.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	512	92.6%
Born in same state	510	92.2%
Born in different state	120	21.7%
Foreign born	2	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	41	7.4%
Not a US citizen	5	12.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	143	25.9%
German	38	6.9%
Italian	23	4.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	22	4%
English	5	0.9%
Polish	1	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.2%
Internet access	78.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 05081

What city is ZIP code 05081 in?

ZIP code 05081 is primarily assigned to Wells River, Vermont.

What county is ZIP code 05081 in?

ZIP code 05081 falls within Orange County, Vermont.

Does ZIP code 05081 have a large retiree population?

57% of households in ZIP code 05081 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 05081 have an older population?

25% of residents in ZIP code 05081 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 05081?

22% of residents in ZIP code 05081 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 05081?

The median home value in ZIP code 05081 is $174,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 05081 in?

ZIP code 05081 observes the EST timezone.