A new study from national insurance rating firm SmartAsset looked at data on wealth transfers made during estate settlements and life insurance payouts, to determine the Vermont counties with the largest annual inheritance payments. The following ranked as the top 10 counties in Vermont with the largest amount of annual inheritance. The list closely, but not exactly follows population, with Chittenden and Rutland the largest in the state. The one notable outlier in this regard is Franklin, which is the fifth largest county, but only ranks eighth on this "inheritance" list.
Top Ten Vermont Counties (US Rank Below):
| Rank | County | Assets Transferred | Life Insurance Payout | Estate Taxes | Inheritance | Inheritance Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chittenden | $39,615,222 | $192,435,424 | $-3,530,223 | $228,520,423 | 2.50 |
| 2 | Rutland | $21,539,774 | $118,634,686 | $-2,132,496 | $138,041,964 | 1.50 |
| 3 | Windsor | $22,168,893 | $100,369,004 | $-1,864,188 | $120,673,708 | 1.30 |
| 4 | Washington | $16,815,002 | $94,464,945 | $-1,692,919 | $109,587,027 | 1.20 |
| 5 | Bennington | $15,312,770 | $80,442,804 | $-1,456,745 | $94,298,830 | 1.00 |
| 6 | Windham | $14,334,075 | $79,520,295 | $-1,427,821 | $92,426,549 | 1.00 |
| 7 | Addison | $14,719,650 | $60,516,605 | $-1,144,581 | $74,091,674 | 0.80 |
| 8 | Franklin | $10,381,598 | $64,391,144 | $-1,137,530 | $73,635,212 | 0.80 |
| 9 | Orleans | $6,351,286 | $51,291,513 | $-876,929 | $56,765,870 | 0.60 |
| 10 | Orange | $10,828,149 | $45,571,956 | $-858,024 | $55,542,081 | 0.60 |
| County | Total Population |
| Chittenden |  158,501 |
| Rutland | 60,938 |
| Washington | 59,367 |
| Windsor | 56,125 |
| Franklin | 48,244 |
| Windham | 44,040 |
| Addison | 36,787 |
| Bennington | 36,658 |
| Caledonia | 31,084 |
| Orange | 28,972 |
| Orleans | 27,129 |
| Lamoille | 24,912 |
| Grand Isle | 6,976 |
| Essex | 6,220 |
Top Ten US Counties
| Rank | County | Assets Transferred | Life Insurance Payout | Estate Taxes | Inheritance | Inheritance Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $779,213,949 | $8,674,889,027 | $-429,642,656 | $9,024,460,320 | 100.00 |
| 2 | Cook, IL | $769,137,609 | $6,182,676,286 | $-194,718,430 | $6,757,095,464 | 74.90 |
| 3 | Hartford, CT | $351,689,266 | $3,707,762,557 | $-55,363,632 | $4,004,088,190 | 44.40 |
| 4 | New Castle, DE | $180,669,246 | $3,820,903,031 | $-19,843,354 | $3,981,728,923 | 44.10 |
| 5 | New Haven, CT | $294,931,234 | $3,618,171,516 | $-53,367,694 | $3,859,735,056 | 42.80 |
| 6 | Maricopa, AZ | $665,337,643 | $3,217,703,398 | $-86,415,012 | $3,796,626,029 | 42.10 |
| 7 | Fairfield, CT | $463,617,766 | $3,115,621,771 | $-48,814,399 | $3,530,425,138 | 39.10 |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | $452,676,190 | $2,902,339,415 | $-152,469,020 | $3,202,546,585 | 35.50 |
| 9 | Orange, CA | $644,942,268 | $2,626,742,118 | $-148,682,025 | $3,123,002,362 | 34.60 |
| 10 | Nassau, NY | $1,210,458,987 | $1,963,453,959 | $-98,939,701 | $3,074,973,245 | 34.10 |
| Nationwide | $65,987,110,056 | $367,916,000,000 | $-9,683,418,625 | $424,220,000,000 |
SmartAsset looked at data on wealth transfers made during estate settlements and life insurance payouts, to find the counties with the largest annual inheritance payments.
It calculated county-level wealth transfers by taking the product of each county’s average household wealth and the annual number of deaths among wealth-holding individuals (those aged 25 or older). To determine total life-insurance payouts, SmartAsset looked at life insurance coverage rates and statewide insurance payouts—counties with higher coverage rates were assigned a higher proportion of each state’s total insurance payout.
Finally, from the total of wealth transfers and insurance payouts, we subtracted total estate taxes paid at the county level, based on state-level estate tax payments and per capita wealth in each county.
Sources: SmartAsset 2.3.2015. US Census Bureau 2012 American Community Survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IRS, American Council of Life Insurers, Esri