Wolcott is a scenic bedroom community with trail and pond access
A small and rural town chartered in 1781, Wolcott offers a mountainous landscape and a quiet atmosphere. “Wolcott is a bedroom community to Morrisville, which is then a bedroom community to Stowe, our big claim-to-fame city out here,” says Penny Mason-Anderson, a local Realtor with Pall Spera Company Realtors. “It’s more affordable than Morrisville, and it’s not quite as far away as Hardwick, so it’s a good happy-medium for some people,” she adds, referring to Wolcott’s neighboring towns where residents go for retail and dining. The easternmost town in Lamoille County is home to slightly less than 1,500 people, most living atop a hill with sweeping views of the Green Mountains. Residents have access to the well-known Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, as well as a hidden favorite, Wolcott Pond. The Lamoille River flows through town, making the area susceptible to flooding. The area’s main artery, State Route 15 runs almost parallel to the river, connecting locals to the busier surrounding towns.
Cape Cods and farmhouses provide privacy with mountain views
Narrow and unmarked residential roads lined with maple, birch and hemlock trees wind up and down Wolcott’s hilly terrain, leading residents home to their Cape Cods and log cabin-style dwellings. “Anyone who lives here is generally living on these hills with sweeping mountain views,” Mason-Anderson says. “The lots are big, and you have privacy.” While Cape Cods and log cabins are common, buyers can also find renovated historic farmhouses and newly-built chalets. “Most have the central living quarters downstairs, and the bedrooms are upstairs,” Mason-Anderson adds. Sizes vary from 1,000 square feet for a quaint cottage to 4,000 square feet for a sprawling farmhouse. Homes typically sit on 2 to 19 acres, and many feature detached garages, work sheds and wide front porches. Price tags usually range from $160,000 to $600,000, but there are also the rare million-dollar outliers. “Some outdoorsy people are second homeowners who bike or ski nearby,” Mason-Anderson says. “It’s not a bad idea to buy a second home in Wolcott, as it’s more affordable and just as pretty as the surrounding towns.”
Lamoille Valley Rail Trail and Wolcott Pond offer outdoor fun
Outdoor enthusiasts have local recreation options, as the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail passes through Wolcott. “The Rail Trail is a 100-mile trail from St. Albans City to St. Johnsbury, popular for bicycling and dog-walking,” Mason-Anderson says. On the east side of town, the 962-acre East Hill Wildlife Management Area features Wolcott Pond. “It’s a nice little piece of Vermont that people don’t know about, with wildlife like loons and moose,” Mason-Anderson says. “You can paddleboard, kayak and fish, but motorboats aren’t allowed.”
High schoolers have school choice, and Sterling College is nearby
Students that live in Wolcott can begin at the local Wolcott Elementary School, which receives a C-plus rating from Niche and serves about 100 kindergarten through sixth-grade learners. Students can then advance to Hazen Union School, which also receives a C-plus and offers clubs like E-sports and Ski & Ride Club. “We also have high school choice, which is a big draw for people to move here,” Mason-Anderson says. The state of Vermont allows students to attend the public high school of their choice, regardless of where in the state the school is located. In Wolcott, students can also elect to attend any private school in the state, and the town will pay the tuition. “One of the high schools they can choose in St. Johnsbury Academy, a private international school where folks from all around the world send their kids. It’s a boarding school for them, but it’s just a day school if you’re local,” Mason-Anderson says. St. Johnsbury Academy, rated an A, is about 30 miles east of town.
For higher education, Sterling College is a small, private college about 10 miles north of Wolcott. "The greens are surrounded by all-white buildings from the 1800s, and there’s only about 20 graduates a year. They specialize in ecology, farming and outdoor education,” Mason-Anderson says. “People will sometimes buy a home in Wolcott so they can be close to the college.”
Limited local shopping, but more options in Morrisville
Most of Wolcott’s limited businesses are located on State Route 15 in the center of town. “Wolcott has a post office, a general store and a town hall, but that’s about it,” Mason-Anderson says. “It’s more of a drive-through situation to get to the next place.” Wolcott Store is a small country market that has offers gas, fishing bait, fresh produce and a rotating lunch menu. “It takes 10 minutes to get to Morrisville, which has Hannaford and Copley Hospital,” Mason-Anderson says. “And Morrisville only has two fast food restaurants, Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds.” Residents can also head to the neighboring town to dine at 10 Railroad Street, an American eatery in a former train depot built in 1872.
Another establishment located on State Route 15, near Wolcott Store, is Wolcott United Methodist Church. “The Methodist Church is very active with little functions and such,” Mason-Anderson says. “But there’s not much else event-wise in the town.”
The car-dependent community experiences frequent flooding
The two-lane State Route 15 runs east-west through Wolcott, serving as the town’s main thoroughfare. The car-dependent community has no public bus or train service, and Burlington International Airport is about 50 miles west.
Due to Wolcott’s location near the Lamoille River, the town has seen major flooding in the recent past. “Wolcott has suffered two 100-year floods, one on July 6, 2023, and another on July 6, 2024,” Mason-Anderson says. “It was wild amounts of water. We’re worried that it will happen again.”
