Windsor County, Vermont Eviction Risk: Moderate

Windsor County carries an average eviction-risk score of 4.7/10, placing it in the Moderate tier across its 22 cities and villages. For landlords evaluating Vermont markets, that middle-of-the-road average reflects a county where operating conditions are workable but not frictionless. Four of Vermont's 14 counties score higher, meaning Windsor County sits in the middle third of the state by risk, per the state ranking of 5 of 14.

Within the county, scores compress into a narrow band from 4.5 to 5.3/10, which may look tight on paper but translates to real differences in tenant stability. The average rent runs $1,144 per month against a rent-burden rate of 27.2%, and renters represent 43.2% of occupied households. Those figures suggest a meaningful renter base with moderate payment pressure, not a distressed market, but one where cash-flow discipline and careful tenant selection still matter.

The cities inside Windsor County

The highest-risk communities in Windsor County all score 5.3/10: Springfield (population 4,237), White River Junction (population 3,364), Windsor (population 2,060), and Ludlow (population 808), among others. Springfield eviction risk and White River Junction eviction risk are the two largest cities in the county, so a disproportionate share of the county's rental inventory sits in its highest-risk zip codes. Landlords concentrating holdings in those communities should price screening and reserves accordingly.

Contrast that with Chester, which scores 4.5/10, the lowest in the county and a full 0.8 points below the riskiest cities. Wilder, Norwich, and Woodstock all land at 4.7/10, right at the county average. The takeaway is that risk is hyper-local here: a handful of miles separates a meaningfully lower-risk operating environment from one noticeably above the county average. Investors underwriting a multi-property Windsor County portfolio should score each city individually rather than relying on the county-wide number.

State-level laws that apply here

Vermont state law under 9 V.S.A. § 4451 et seq. governs residential tenancies throughout Windsor County. For non-payment of rent, landlords must serve a 14-day notice before filing. Lease-violation and end-of-term (no-cause) notices each require 30 days. Vermont requires just cause to terminate most tenancies, which limits a landlord's flexibility to exit a problem lease and is a key factor behind the county's Moderate risk rating. There is no statewide rent cap, and Vermont does not preempt local rent-control ordinances, though none are currently in force in Windsor County.

The Vermont eviction process runs 30 to 60 days for uncontested cases and 60 to 150 days when a tenant contests. Court filing fees range from $295 to $340, sheriff lockout fees add $60 to $150, and attorney fees typically run $750 to $3,000 depending on complexity. Reviewing Vermont eviction costs in detail before budgeting an eviction reserve is a practical step for any landlord operating here. Source-of-income discrimination is also protected under Vermont law, meaning landlords cannot reject applicants solely on the basis of housing vouchers or similar assistance. For a full picture of your compliance obligations, Vermont tenant protections are worth reading before executing new leases.

With a poverty rate of 12.5% and renters making up 43.2% of households, Windsor County's rental base is sizable relative to its total population of 22,130; the city grid above breaks that exposure down to the individual-market level so landlords can pinpoint where risk concentrates.