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Cliff-Zone Families
11,821
Total Wage Suppression
$8.6M
State Avg Cliff Zone
13.8%
The benefits cliff — sometimes called the welfare cliff or cliff effect — occurs when families lose public benefits faster than they can replace them through increased earnings. In Vermont, an estimated 11,821 families across 14 counties earn between 100–200% of the Federal Poverty Level, where benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, childcare subsidies, and housing assistance phase out. The CLIFF Index measures this exposure at the county level, including peak marginal effective tax rates, wage suppression estimates, and advancement thresholds. Click any county below for the full diagnostic report.
| CountyCounty↕ | PopulationPopulation↕ | Cliff Zone %Cliff Zone %↕ | Families AffectedFamilies↓ | Wage SuppressionWage Gap↕ | Peak METRPeak METR↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chittenden County | 169,758 | 10.2% | 2,049 | $1.5M | 112% |
| Franklin County | 50,638 | 15.8% | 1,412 | $1.0M | 112% |
| Rutland County | 60,425 | 17.9% | 1,279 | $931K | 112% |
| Windsor County | 57,990 | 14.1% | 1,066 | $776K | 112% |
| Washington County | 60,017 | 13.3% | 966 | $703K | 112% |
| Windham County | 45,923 | 15.8% | 921 | $670K | 112% |
| Orleans County | 27,606 | 17.9% | 753 | $548K | 112% |
| Bennington County | 37,269 | 15.4% | 729 | $531K | 112% |
| Caledonia County | 30,475 | 15.7% | 681 | $496K | 112% |
| Lamoille County | 26,148 | 14.2% | 652 | $475K | 112% |
| Addison County | 37,664 | 11.4% | 539 | $392K | 112% |
| Orange County | 29,761 | 12.6% | 510 | $371K | 112% |
| Essex County | 5,982 | 21.6% | 185 | $135K | 112% |
| Grand Isle County | 7,450 | 9.4% | 79 | $58K | 112% |
14 of 14 counties shown. Click any county for full diagnostic.