2026 editionNortheastPop. 644,663Capital Montpelier14th state, admitted 1791Cook PVI D+20
Is Vermont a Good Place to Live? Vermont Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Vermont ranks #8 of 50 with a composite score of 74 and an A grade, strongest in environment (#2) and weakest in fiscal health (#38). The median household earns $82,730 (2% above the national median), homes typically cost $399,053 (8% above the national average), and violent crime is 214 per 100,000 (35% below the national average).
Retirees and outdoors-first households who trade a heavy tax bill for clean air, hills and neighbors who stay put find their best version here, #5 of 50 for retirees. The price is a tax burden of 11.53%, a top income rate of 8.75%, and winters heated with the region's most expensive natural gas.
Vermont by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Vermont's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Vermont overview
Vermont scores above the national average in 7 of 11 categories and ranks #2 of 11 states in the Northeast, behind 1 regional neighbor. Its biggest edge over the country is violent crime rate (214, 35% below the national average); its biggest shortfall is total tax burden (11.53%, 2.8 points above the national average). With 6 top-10 finishes and no bottom-10 category, its weaknesses are relative, not absolute.
Where does Vermont rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Vermont is top 10 in 6 and bottom 10 in 0.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 66.5 | #4 of 50 | A+ | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 2.7% and median household income is $82,730. |
| Safety | 77.7 | #17 of 50 | B+ | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 214.4 violent crimes and 1,419.3 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 75.1 | #8 of 50 | A | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 78.3 years, 29% of adults have obesity, and 4.2% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 52.4 | #35 of 50 | C | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 276 in NAEP math and 257 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 82.8%. |
| Affordability | 55.7 | #37 of 50 | C | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $399,053 (4.8x median income); cost of living index 98 (100 = US); center-based infant care $21,670 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 51.1 | #38 of 50 | C | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $4,380 of debt per resident, has 68% of pensions funded, and holds a AA+ credit rating. |
| Growth | 29.9 | #36 of 50 | C | 7% | 38.8 | Population shrank 0.29% last year; Census net domestic migration is -1.1 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 59.2 | #6 of 50 | A | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 23.9 minutes, 1.4% of workers use public transit, and 16% work from home. |
| Livability | 48.5 | #6 of 50 | A | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.871 restaurants and 0.047 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.163 bars and 0.217 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 55.6 | #4 of 50 | A+ | 6% | 29.4 | 17.9% of its land is public, with 8.65 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 76.3 | #2 of 50 | A+ | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 34, 99% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 16.4. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Vermont's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Vermont bulges toward environment and dips at fiscal health.
How expensive is Vermont?
Vermont's cost of living index is 98 against a national baseline of 100, 2% below the national average and #29 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $399,053 (8% above the national average); buying it takes an income of about $114,846, $32,116 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Rutland is cheapest (index 96.4) and Milton priciest (100.9).
Housing market snapshot · August
Warm marketRanked #21 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #38 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $32,116 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full Vermont housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Vermont | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$32,645 | −$11,758 | #41 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$27,316 | +$31,418 | #34 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$31,257 | +$35,970 | #35 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Vermont?
Vermont's tax mix is high income tax, high property tax, with sales tax in the middle of the pack. The total state and local tax burden comes to 11.53% of income, 2.8 points above the national average (#48 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 1.78% of home value (#46), and combined sales tax averages 6.39% (#19).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 51.1 out of 100, #38 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Vermont safe?
Vermont reports 214 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 35% below the national average and #10 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,419 per 100,000, 8% below the national average (#24 of 50). The safety score is 77.7 out of 100, #17 of 50; among tracked cities, Middlebury has the lowest violent crime rate.
Vermont vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Vermont
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlebury | 7,220 | 54 | 997 |
| Shelburne | 6,499 | 61 | 1,340 |
| Bellows Falls | 2,891 | 110 | 843 |
| St. Johnsbury | 5,859 | 203 | 1,906 |
| South Burlington | 20,756 | 231 | 4,714 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Vermont cities we track. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Vermont?
Vermont's unemployment rate is 2.7%, 1.3 points below the national average and #4 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $82,730, 2% above the national median. Real GDP grew +1.5% in the latest year (#35 of 50) and GDP per capita is $56,157, 13% below the national average. The population is shrinking 0.29% a year, 0.8 points below the national average. The economy score is 66.5 out of 100, #4 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Vermont, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $222,619 | $215,940 | Burlington-South Burlington |
| Lawyers | $149,081 | $144,609 | Burlington-South Burlington |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $120,765 | Burlington-South Burlington |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $104,421 | $101,288 | Burlington-South Burlington |
| General & Operations Managers | $98,267 | $95,319 | Burlington-South Burlington |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Vermont's schools and healthcare?
Vermont's education score is 52.4 out of 100, #35 of 50. Eighth graders average 276 in NAEP math (#21 of 50) and 257 in reading (#25 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 82.8%, 2.8 points below the national average (#39 of 50).
Tracked school cities with the smallest classes
| City | Students / teacher | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
| Winooski | 9.1 | $33,225 |
| White River Junction | 9.7 | $27,129 |
| Montpelier | 9.9 | $25,313 |
The federal EDFacts file does not publish city-level graduation rates for Vermont, so cities are ranked by students per teacher instead. NCES Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey, latest release; cities with at least three schools.
Vermont is #8 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 78.3 years, 1.4 years above the national average. 29% of adults have obesity (#5 of 50) and 4.2% of residents have no health insurance (#3 of 50). The health score is 75.1 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Vermont, and who is leaving?
Vermont's flows are close to even: 11,277 households moved in and 11,576 moved out in the latest IRS release, a net of -299, or -0.5 per 1,000 residents (#32 of 50), too small to call a direction. Arriving households report an average income of $82,099 against $71,936 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net +9.5K people (24.1K in, 14.7K out, ±4.2K), pointing the other way, so treat the direction as uncertain.
Where they come from
- 1New York1,566 · $77,982
- 2Massachusetts1,540 · $111,887
- 3New Hampshire1,243 · $62,938
- 4Florida778 · $86,179
- 5Connecticut579 · $87,316
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where they go
- 1New York1,546 · $66,962
- 2New Hampshire1,353 · $64,570
- 3Massachusetts1,339 · $71,745
- 4Florida1,043 · $102,656
- 5North Carolina537 · $73,553
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households left for these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Vermont?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Vermont cities we track are Middlebury (76.4), Shelburne (76), and Essex Junction (70.9). Rutland is the cheapest (cost index 96.4), Shelburne the richest ($109,583), and Essex Junction the fastest growing (+2% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Vermont cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Vermont
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Middlebury | 54 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Rutland | cost of living index 96.4 |
| Most walkable | Bennington | walkability 14.9 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Brattleboro | median AQI 15 (county) |
| Richest | Shelburne | $109,583 |
Among the 20 Vermont cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Vermont
The one metro: most of the jobs, the university and hospital, the highest rents, and the mildest winters in the state thanks to the lake.
Montpelier's state payroll and Barre's granite town, priced below Burlington and prone to river flooding. Middlebury adds a college town to the west.
White River Junction and Wilder face Hanover and Lebanon across the river; Dartmouth's hospital sets the job market and New Hampshire's tax rules set the shopping.
Rutland, Bennington and Brattleboro: the cheapest houses south of the Kingdom, older mill towns, ski traffic from Killington and Stratton, and the shortest drive to Massachusetts and Connecticut.
St. Johnsbury, Newport and St. Albans: the most rural, coldest and cheapest corner of the state, with broadband gaps and a long drive to anything urban.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middlebury | A+ | 76.4 | 7,220 | $86,250 | 54 | 96.4 |
| 2 | Shelburne | A+ | 76.0 | 6,499 | $109,583 | 61 | 100.9 |
| 3 | Essex Junction | A+ | 70.9 | 10,803 | $89,257 | — | 100.9 |
| 4 | Montpelier | A+ | 69.9 | 8,014 | $81,030 | 343 | 96.4 |
| 5 | South Burlington | A+ | 69.6 | 20,756 | $106,667 | 231 | 100.9 |
| 6 | Winooski | A+ | 69.2 | 8,293 | $79,522 | 272 | 100.9 |
| 7 | Milton | A+ | 67.5 | 3,555 | $77,550 | — | 100.9 |
| 8 | White River Junction | A | 65.5 | 3,364 | $77,168 | — | 96.4 |
| 9 | Burlington | A | 64.4 | 44,675 | $71,109 | 483 | 100.9 |
| 10 | Brattleboro | B+ | 62.6 | 7,657 | $52,734 | — | 96.4 |
| 11 | St. Johnsbury | B+ | 61.3 | 5,859 | $53,711 | 203 | 96.4 |
| 12 | Springfield | B+ | 60.2 | 4,237 | $46,760 | — | 96.4 |
| 13 | Northfield | B+ | 59.9 | 3,766 | $60,789 | — | 96.4 |
| 14 | Rutland | B | 57.9 | 15,712 | $57,675 | 464 | 96.4 |
| 15 | Bennington | B | 56.7 | 9,245 | $54,257 | — | 96.4 |
| 16 | Wilder | C+ | 55.6 | 3,087 | $75,143 | — | 96.4 |
| 17 | St. Albans | C+ | 53.1 | 6,954 | $57,980 | 735 | 100.9 |
| 18 | Barre | C+ | 52.5 | 8,412 | $65,625 | 533 | 96.4 |
| 19 | Bellows Falls | C | 52.2 | 2,891 | $56,086 | 110 | 96.4 |
| 20 | Newport | C | 51.8 | 4,394 | $54,646 | 395 | 96.4 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Vermont cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Vermont for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelburne | 77.6 | — | 93.2 | 56.3 |
| 2 | Middlebury | 77.5 | 86.0 | 96.1 | 67.6 |
| 3 | Essex Junction | 73.4 | 94.3 | — | 61.3 |
| 4 | Winooski | 73.0 | 100.0 | 73.2 | 61.2 |
| 5 | Montpelier | 72.1 | 100.0 | 63.2 | 68.2 |
Who is Vermont best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Vermont cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Vermont compare with its neighbors?
Vermont ranks #8. Among its bordering states, New Hampshire ranks highest (#1) and New York lowest (#29). Massachusetts is the most similar on the composite score and New York the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | #8 | 74.0 | $82,730 | $399,053 | 98 | 214 | 11.53% | |
| New Hampshire | #1 | 83.4 | $99,782 | $516,306 | 104.2 | 118 | 5.94% | Compare → |
| Massachusetts | #13 | 70.0 | $104,828 | $661,896 | 105.8 | 303 | 9.57% | Compare → |
| New York | #29 | 54.9 | $85,820 | $526,714 | 107.9 | 368 | 13.56% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Vermont city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Vermont numbers say when read together.
Environment is Vermont's strongest suit
Vermont is a #8 state overall but #2 of 50 for environment, 6 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 76.3 against a national average of 42.5. Economy (#4) is next. Environment carries 4% of the composite.
Fiscal Health is where Vermont falls furthest behind
Vermont ranks #38 of 50 for fiscal health, 30 places below its overall #8, with a score of 51.1 against a national average of 58.1. At 8% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Violent crime rate is 35% below the national average
Vermont's violent crime rate is 214, 35% below the national average of 328, #10 of 50 (1 = safest). The largest gap in the other direction is total tax burden: 11.53%, 2.8 points above the national average. Source: FBI estimates, latest release.
Migration is a wash
Net -299 households on 22,853 moves is too small a margin to call a direction; Vermont ranks #32 of 50 on net flow per 1,000 residents. The households arriving report $10,163 more in average income than those leaving ($82,099 against $71,936), so the state is trading up on income even as the headcount shrinks. New York is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed harder here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $32,645 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#41 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $27,316 surplus; a retiree couple at a $31,257 surplus. Infant childcare runs $21,670 a year, 39% above the national average.
Vermont sits 2nd among its 4-state neighborhood
1 of Vermont's 3 bordering states ranks above its #8; the closest match on the composite is Massachusetts. Median income among them runs from $85,820 in New York to $104,828 in Massachusetts; Vermont is at $82,730.
Frequently asked questions about living in Vermont
Is Vermont a good place to live?
Vermont ranks #8 of 50 with an A grade, #2 of 11 in the Northeast. It is top 10 in environment, economy, outdoor access, transportation, livability, and health. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 4 of 6 (income, cost of living, violent crime, and unemployment) and trails on home prices and tax burden. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Vermont rank among US states?
Vermont ranks #8 of 50 overall with a composite score of 74 (grade A), and #2 of 11 states in the Northeast. Its best category rank is #2 (environment) and its worst #38 (fiscal health). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so A means rank 6–10.
Is it expensive to live in Vermont?
At #29 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Vermont is 2% below the national average: its index is 98 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $399,053 (8% above the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $114,846 against a median household income of $82,730. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $32,645 shortfall after all costs, #41 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Vermont have a state income tax?
Yes. Vermont's top state income tax rate is 8.75% (#42 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 11.53% of income, 2.8 points above the national average. Property tax is 1.78% of home value and combined sales tax 6.39%.
What is the crime rate in Vermont?
Vermont reports 214 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 35% below the national average and #10 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,419 property crimes per 100,000, 8% below the national average (#24). Its safety score is 77.7 out of 100, #17 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Vermont have good schools?
Vermont is #35 of 50 for education (score 52.4 out of 100). Its public school students average 276 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#21) and 257 in eighth-grade reading (#25), and the high school graduation rate is 82.8%, 2.8 points below the national average (#39). The federal school files we use do not publish city-level graduation rates for Vermont, so cities are compared on students per teacher and spending instead.
Is Vermont gaining or losing people?
Neither, to any meaningful degree: Vermont netted -299 households in the latest IRS release on 11,277 arrivals and 11,576 departures, -0.5 per 1,000 residents (#32 of 50), a flow too small to call a direction. The largest source of arrivals is New York (1,566 households) and the most common destination is New York (1,546). Arriving households report an average income of $82,099 against $71,936 for those leaving, so movers in earn more than movers out. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Vermont a red or blue state?
Vermont is a solidly blue state: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is D+20, meaning it votes about 20 points more Democratic than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
What are the downsides of living in Vermont?
Taxes first, then the heating bill, then the drive. The burden of 11.53% ranks #48 of 50. Natural gas at $18.00 per thousand cubic feet is the region's most expensive and reaches only the Burlington corridor. Rivers flood; Montpelier, Barre and the Winooski towns have been under water more than once, and flood insurance matters near any river. Add mud season, thin jobs and long drives to specialists.
Is Vermont tax-friendly for retirees?
Less than its neighbors, with one exception. Social Security is taxed above an income threshold and the top rate is 8.75%. The exception is the house: the education property tax on a primary residence is scaled to household income, so a retiree with modest income and a valuable home pays below the headline rate. A retiree couple on $75,000 comes out at a $31,257 surplus, $4,713 below the national median.
Why is Vermont so expensive?
Because nothing gets built and much of what exists is empty half the year. Population growth is -0.29%, last of 50, yet price to income is 4.8x. Land-use review and town permitting slow subdivision, ski-town and lake-town second homes absorb supply, and Burlington's rentals have a college and a hospital competing for them. Rutland, Bennington and the Kingdom are the exceptions, with thinner jobs.
Is Vermont a good place to raise a family?
On the numbers, #13 of 50. Health ranks #8, violent crime is 35% below the national average, and schools are funded statewide, not by town wealth. The counterweights are infant childcare at $21,670, 39% above the national average, a family budget that runs $20,887 below the national median at $75,000, and schools that rank #35. Settling near Burlington or Middlebury gets most of the first list and least of the second.
Do I need a car in Vermont?
Yes, and in most of the state a second one. Transit carries 1.4% of commuters, 0.9 points below the national average, and the mean commute of 23.9 minutes is short only because towns are small. Burlington is the exception: a walkable downtown, a bus network and the university on foot. Everywhere else assumes a driveway, snow tires from November to April, and a plan for the dirt road in mud season.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Vermont's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.