Waitsfield, Vermont

Waitsfield, Vermont
Town
Downtown Waitsfield, Vermont
Location in Washington County and the state of Vermont
Location of Vermont with the U.S.A.
Coordinates: 44°11′20″N 72°48′45″W
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Washington
Chartered	1782 (Vermont)
Area
• Total	26.9 sq mi (69.7 km2)
• Land	26.7 sq mi (69.2 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)
Elevation	800 ft (306 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,844
• Density	69/sq mi (26/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	05673
Area code	802
FIPS code	50-75325
GNIS feature ID	1462237
Website	www.waitsfieldvt.us

Waitsfield is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,844 at the 2020 census. It was created by Vermont charter on February 25, 1782. It was granted to militia Generals Benjamin Wait, Roger Enos and others, then named for Wait.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.9 square miles (69.7 km²), of which 26.7 square miles (69.2 km²) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km²), or 0.68%, is water.

Waitsfield is located in the valley of the Mad River, between the main range of the Green Mountains to the west and the Northfield Mountains to the east. Vermont Route 100 runs through the valley, connecting Waterbury to the north with Warren and Rochester to the south. Vermont Route 17 leaves Route 100 to the west, heading over the Green Mountains past the Mad River Glen ski area, eventually reaching Bristol.

The primary villages in town are Waitsfield and Irasville, both along Route 100. Waitsfield Common is near the geographic center of the town.

Schools

Children in Waitsfield attend Waitsfield Elementary School and Harwood Union High School.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1800	473		—
1810	647		36.8%
1820	935		44.5%
1830	968		3.5%
1840	1,048		8.3%
1850	1,021		−2.6%
1860	1,005		−1.6%
1870	948		−5.7%
1880	938		−1.1%
1890	815		−13.1%
1900	760		−6.7%
1910	709		−6.7%
1920	682		−3.8%
1930	723		6.0%
1940	706		−2.4%
1950	661		−6.4%
1960	658		−0.5%
1970	837		27.2%
1980	1,300		55.3%
1990	1,422		9.4%
2000	1,659		16.7%
2010	1,719		3.6%
2020	1,844		7.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Old Town Office – Waitsfield, Vermont

The 2000 census stated that there were 1,659 people, 734 households, and 485 families residing in the town. The population density was 61.7 people per square mile (23.8/km²). There were 908 housing units at an average density of 33.7 per square mile (13.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.23% White, 0.96% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.

There were 734 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,577, and the median income for a family was $54,868. Males had a median income of $31,827 versus $27,260 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,209. About 3.9% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Ralph Ellison, American author
• Bill Parker, artist and inventor
• Grace Potter, musician of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
• Edmund Rice, US congressman from Minnesota
• Henry Mower Rice, US senator from Minnesota
• Charles W. Waterman, US senator from Colorado

Economy

The town's economy is based around two nearby ski resorts, Sugarbush Resort and Mad River Glen. They are popular resorts with a different focus: Mad River Glen is the longest-run skier owned and skier-only resort on the East Coast and is home to the unique Single Chair lift. Sugarbush is a tourist resort and in recent years has grown, adding several new condominiums and a hotel.

Waitsfield is also home to several restaurants. The most well known is American Flatbread: a locally owned restaurant that serves wood-fired pizzas with local ingredients. Additionally, Mexican restaurant Mad Taco serves meat smoked on the premises and local brew beer. The Big Picture, a restaurant and movie theater, is also located in the town.

During the summer months, Lareau Farm and the covered bridge are popular swimming locations along the Mad River.

A long-running Christmas-themed commercial for Miller High Life beer was filmed in Waitsfield in 1976.

External links

• Town of Waitsfield official website
• Waitsfield VT – VT Living Magazine