Property tax in Orleans County, Vermont
The median property tax bill in Orleans County, Vermont is $3,692 a year, which is about 1.65% of the county's median home value of $223,400. That effective rate is about the same as the typical Vermont county (1.65%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Orleans County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Orleans County's average effective rate of 1.65% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $3,686 / year
Property tax in Orleans County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $3,692 |
| Median home value | $223,400 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.65% |
| Typical Vermont county rate | 1.65% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Orleans County compare in Vermont?
Among Vermont's 14 counties, Orleans County has the 8th highest effective property-tax rate: 7 rank higher and 6 rank lower. That is near the middle for Vermont. Nationally, it ranks 231st of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Vermont county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Orleans County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Orleans County's 9,622 owner-occupied homes, 65% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 83.7% pay at least $2,000, and 3.8% pay under $800. Another 1.2% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 367 | 3.8% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 482 | 5% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 603 | 6.3% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 1,802 | 18.7% |
| $3,000 or more | 6,253 | 65% |
| No property tax paid | 115 | 1.2% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $3,763 and owners without one pay $3,549. That is within 10% either way, so in Orleans County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Orleans County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $3,692 is about 4.5% of the median income of Orleans County homeowner households, $82,669 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 79.7% of Orleans County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Orleans County?
Yes. The median bill went from $2,886 in 2015-2019 to $3,692 in 2020-2024, a 27.9% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 37.9%, from $162,000 to $223,400. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Orleans County
Orleans County borders 4 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caledonia County, VT | 1.76% | $4,022 | $227,900 |
| Essex County, VT | 1.76% | $3,035 | $172,500 |
| Orleans County, VT (this county) | 1.65% | $3,692 | $223,400 |
| Lamoille County, VT | 1.57% | $4,785 | $304,700 |
| Franklin County, VT | 1.41% | $4,332 | $306,700 |
How is a home assessed in Orleans County?
Vermont sets the assessment rules and Orleans County applies them. How Vermont assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Orleans County?
No dollar exemption. Filing Vermont Form HS-122 by April 15 puts your home in the homestead category for the statewide education tax, which is not always the cheaper rate. That is the Vermont rule, and it applies in Orleans County. Vermont's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Orleans County?
There is no statewide due date in Vermont. Your town mails one bill a year, generally about 30 days before the first payment is due, and the town decides whether it is paid in one lump sum or in installments; state law lets a town collect in up to four. Payment goes to the town treasurer or tax collector, never to the Department of Taxes.
That is the Vermont rule. Orleans County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Orleans County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the your town's listers or assessor (grievance), then the Board of Civil Authority. The filing deadline is typically 14 calendar days after the listers mail their grievance decision. That is the Vermont rule; Orleans County sets the exact dates and forms. The Vermont appeal process step by step.
Vermont rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Vermont page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Orleans County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Vermont income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Vermont actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Orleans County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Orleans County, Vermont: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.