ZIP Code 05251 — Dorset CDP, VT Demographics & Data

ZIP code 05251 covers Dorset, VT in Bennington County with a population of about 1,395.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 48.3 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 802; U.S. House district VT-00; the ALBANY - SCHENECTADY - TROY media market.

Dorset, VT aligns with a tech / corporate-campus profile (high remote-work / education / income profile or known campus context). Broadband quality, remote-work share, and nearby employer campuses often matter as much as classic residential stats.

Median household income in ZIP 05251 is about $102,216 — about 36% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 15.6%; unemployment rate near 1.4%; 69.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 35.9 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Manufacturing, and Professional services; about 24.7% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 9.5 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $463,500 — about 33% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,554 (about 34% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 95.0% (about 29.6 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 05251 in Dorset, VT, a household would need roughly $128,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $2,977. That is about 25% above the local median household income ($102,216), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Dorset CDP, VT as Relatively Low (composite score 52.3), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (71.9) and flood (64.5). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Dorset CDP, VT show little to no average snow and around 51.0 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 72 for ZIP 05251 (Dorset CDP, VT) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.