Pets · County · Vermont
Pet businesses in Chittenden County, VT
How Chittenden County, VT compares with other counties and the U.S. for pet businesses: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 20 out of 100: Low
Ranked #2,109 of 2,200 scored counties
#5 of 12 scored counties in Vermont
- Listings
- 108
- 7 chain locations (6%)
- Official establishments
- 58
- −13.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $51.7M
- On pets · $723 a household
- Spending per listing
- $479K
- 46% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 15.1
- 45% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 169,115
- +0.4% since 2020
See the pet businesses around any address in Chittenden County
The site report maps the pet businesses on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Chittenden County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
For pet businesses, Chittenden County has a Groundwork market score of 20 (low): #2,109 of 2,200 scored counties and #5 of 12 scored counties in Vermont. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
At $723 per household (20% below the U.S. average), households in Chittenden County spend about $51.7M a year on pets. That is about $479K of household spending for each business on map listings, 46% below the U.S. figure of $878K.
There are 108 pet businesses on map listings in Chittenden County as of September 2026. 7 of them (6%) are chain locations, against 17% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 15.1, 45% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Chittenden County was 58 in 2023, down 13.4% from 2019. That is one for every 1,232 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 3 SBA-backed loans worth $1.4M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Chittenden County. Population estimates show Chittenden County grew 0.4% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Chittenden County compares
The same measures for Vermont and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all pets by the pet businesses counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Chittenden County | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 15.1 | 15.1 | 10.4 |
| Spending per listing | $479K | $434K | $878K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,232 | 1,315 | 1,852 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −13.4% | −6.7% | +11.4% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +0.4% | +0.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $723 | $654 | $909 |
| Median household income | $96,759 | $81,203 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 20 | 7 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 67 → 58−13.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 765
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $33M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 190Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1087 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 59The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 3
- Amount
- $1.4M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Chittenden County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Chittenden County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 169,115+0.4% since 2020
- Households
- 71,456
- Median age
- 39.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 64%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 537 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 316
- Median household income
- $96,759+31.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $123,699
- Median home value
- $439,200
- Jobs located here
- 103,357
- Daytime population
- 189,839Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Chittenden County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the pet businesses on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Chittenden County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardPet businesses across Vermont
Every Vermont market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Vermont for pet businesses, numbered among those based in Vermont, with Chittenden County marked.
Top counties in Vermont
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Orange County, VT | 40 | 12 | 9.4 | $681K | +2.4% | #1,519 of 2,200 |
| 2Addison County, VT | 38 | 12 | 8.0 | $838K | +1.8% | #1,587 of 2,200 |
| 3Franklin County, VT | 36 | 28 | 14.0 | $451K | +2.3% | #1,703 of 2,200 |
| 4Orleans County, VT | 26 | 23 | 19.1 | $308K | +0.7% | #1,996 of 2,200 |
| 5Chittenden County, VT | 20 | 108 | 15.1 | $479K | +0.4% | #2,109 of 2,200 |
| 6Windham County, VT | 17 | 27 | 13.6 | $449K | −1.4% | #2,146 of 2,200 |
| 7Windsor County, VT | 16 | 37 | 14.6 | $448K | −0.7% | #2,155 of 2,200 |
| 8Washington County, VT | 16 | 38 | 14.7 | $447K | −0.2% | #2,156 of 2,200 |
| 9Caledonia County, VT | 14 | 25 | 19.1 | $307K | +0.8% | #2,177 of 2,200 |
| 10Lamoille County, VT | 14 | 27 | 22.6 | $282K | +1.4% | #2,178 of 2,200 |
Other business types in Chittenden County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Pets
- Pet businesses20
- Veterinarians19
- Pet grooming and boarding19
- Pet stores41
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Chittenden County, VT?
As of September 2026, map listings count 108 pet businesses in Chittenden County. 7 of them (6%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 58 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, down 13.4% from 2019. Official counts also show 190 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Chittenden County, VT spend on pets?
About $51.7M a year, or $723 per household. That is 20% below the U.S. average (an index of 80, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 108 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $479K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 71,456 households in Chittenden County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Chittenden County, VT compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Chittenden County has 15.1 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 45% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $479K, 46% below the U.S. figure of $878K. At the U.S. ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Chittenden County would have about 59, against 108 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,232 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count fell 13.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
How fast is Chittenden County, VT growing?
Population estimates put Chittenden County at 169,115 people in 2025, up 0.4% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 71,456 households. Median household income in Chittenden County is $96,759, 20% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 31.4%, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Chittenden County scores 20 for pet businesses (low), #2,109 of 2,200 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Chittenden County. It maps the pet businesses on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for pet businesses · All 56 business types in Chittenden County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Chittenden County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Chittenden County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.