Searsburg is the home of a six-megawatt wind turbine farm owned by Green Mountain Power. The town officers have supported the electrical generating station consisting of 11 towers atop a ridgeline. The project is also an education and research facility for wind generation in the cold, northeast U.S. climate. There is a new wind project planned near the existing Searsburg Wind Energy Facility. Iberdrola Renewables proposed a 30 megawatt project, which consists of 15 turbines in Searsburg and Readsboro, on U.S. Forest Service land.
As of the census of 2000, there were 96 people, 40 households, and 24 families residing in the town. The population density was 4.5 people per square mile. There were 87 housing units at an average density of 4.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 100.00% White. There were 40 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couplesliving together, 2.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.21. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 27.1% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 152.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 133.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $17,500, and the median income for a family was $31,667. Males had a median income of $28,333 versus $25,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,472. There were 10.0% of families and 17.5% of the population living below the poverty line, including 12.9% of under eighteens and 35.7% of those over 64.
In 1996, the town gave 45 percent to Clinton, with Perot polling at a significantly above-average 39 percent, and with Republican Bob Dole coming in a distant third.
In 2000, Libertarian Harry Browne won Searsburg with 51%. Democrat Al Gore received 40%, and Ralph Nader received 9%. Republican George W. Bush received no votes. Browne's victory was particularly unusual, because he polled at under half a percent statewide.
