Chittenden County, VT
Get paid to care for your family member in Chittenden County, Vermont
About 31,000 people in Chittenden County are 65 or older — 18% of everyone who lives here. Chittenden County skews younger than Vermont overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 3,380 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Chittenden County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Who needs care in Chittenden
- People 65 and older
- 31,000
- People 85 and older
- 3,380
- Median age
- 38.0
- Rank in Vermont
- 1st
18% of Chittenden residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 14 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Chittenden County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3). Vermont as a whole is 23% aged 65 or older.
What Vermont pays family caregivers
$15.49–$18/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Vermont Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Vermont's programs at a glance
- Choices for Care (self-directed)
- Flexible Choices
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- There may be a waitlist — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Vermont guide →
Towns and cities in Chittenden County
Vermont sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Burlington and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Chittenden County:
- Burlington44,432
- South Burlington21,713
- Colchester17,807
- Essex11,497
- Milton10,802
- Essex Junction10,787
- Williston10,091
- Winooski8,370
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Chittenden apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Chittenden County start with Vermont's program:
Submit a Vermont Long-Term Care Medicaid application (DAIL does the clinical assessment, ESD at 800-479-6151 the financial eligibility); the Senior HelpLine at 800-642-5119 can help start the process.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Vermont program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Chittenden questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Chittenden County?
Yes. Vermont runs real Medicaid programs — like Choices for Care (self-directed) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Chittenden County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Chittenden County?
Reported figures in Vermont are around $15.49–$18/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Chittenden County apply?
Families in Chittenden County start with the state, not the county. Submit a Vermont Long-Term Care Medicaid application (DAIL does the clinical assessment, ESD at 800-479-6151 the financial eligibility); the Senior HelpLine at 800-642-5119 can help start the process.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Chittenden County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for Vermont: yes — relatives including an adult child or spouse can be hired in the Highest Needs group / Flexible Choices; spouses are NOT payable in the Moderate Needs group; legal guardians excluded
How many people in Chittenden County might need this?
31,000 residents of Chittenden County are 65 or older and about 3,380 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Vermont's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Chittenden do you cover?
All of Chittenden County — including Burlington, South Burlington, Colchester, Essex and Milton. Eligibility is set by Vermont, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Vermont's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Vermont counties
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