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Is Vermont a Good Place to Live? The Pros and Cons of Living in Vermont

Updated October 2026 by Tony Walton, Principal Broker, New England Landmark Realty

Quick Answer

Yes, for people who want the outdoors, small towns and four real seasons, and who plan for the costs. The pros: mountains, lakes and trails minutes from home, towns where neighbors still vote on the budget together at town meeting, and a slower pace. The cons: long winters and heating bills, a cost of living 13.4% above the U.S. average, and high health insurance premiums for people who buy their own coverage. The best way to decide is to visit in February and in mud season, not just in October, and to compare specific towns, not the state as a whole.

Key Takeaways

Two-Sentence Summary

Vermonters stay for the outdoors, the food and farms, and small towns where people show up for each other. The people who thrive here come for that life and go in with clear eyes about winter and costs.

If You Only Remember 3 Things

1. Vermont life is built around the seasons. Visit in February and in mud season, not just in October.
2. Budget for winter heating and, if you'll buy your own, health insurance before you budget for the house.
3. Pick your town first. The same state offers a college-town downtown, a ski village, a lake town, and a farm road ten miles apart.

Quick Facts

• Population: 644,663 (July 1, 2025 estimate), the second-smallest of any state
• Maple syrup: 3.06 million gallons in 2025, the most of any state
• Long Trail: 272 miles from Massachusetts to Canada, the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the U.S.
• Ski areas: 20 downhill and more than 30 cross-country
• Covered bridges: about 100
• Billboards: banned since 1968
• Cost of living: 13.4% above the U.S. average (Q2 2026)
• Median home sale price: $438,280 (August 2026)

Pros and Cons of Living in Vermont at a Glance

Why Vermonters Love Living Here

1. The Outdoors Is Part of Everyday Life

In Vermont, the outdoors isn't a vacation destination. It's the backyard. People ski before work at Stowe, Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Bolton Valley, and Killington, and skin up the mountain at first light. They swim in river holes and lakes after work, paddle Lake Champlain at sunset, and hike a section of the Long Trail on a Saturday morning. Vermont has 20 downhill ski areas and more than 30 cross-country ski centers. Most Vermonters live within a short drive of trails, water, and open land, and they use it in every season.

2. Small Towns Where Neighbors Show Up

Vermont is a state of small towns, and they still work the way small towns are supposed to. On Town Meeting Day each March, residents gather to debate and vote on the town budget face to face. The general store is where you hear the news. Volunteer fire departments, church suppers, library book sales, and school plays are where people see each other. When a storm knocks the power out or a neighbor's barn needs a new roof, people show up. Newcomers who get involved are welcomed quickly.

3. A Year That Follows the Seasons

• Spring: sugaring season. Steam rises from sugarhouses across the state as maple sap is boiled into syrup, and many sugarhouses open their doors to visitors. Vermont made 3.06 million gallons of maple syrup in 2025, more than any other state.
• Summer: long evenings, farmers markets, swimming holes, county fairs, outdoor concerts, and Lake Champlain.
• Fall: the foliage people travel from around the world to see, plus apple orchards, cider, and harvest suppers.
• Winter: skiing, snowshoeing, skating on frozen ponds, snowmobiling, and quiet snowy nights by the woodstove.

4. Food, Farms, and Local Makers

Vermonters take local food seriously. Farm stands, farmers markets, and community-supported farms are part of weekly life. The state is known for its maple syrup, cheese, apples, and craft beer. Vermont had 58 breweries in 2023, the most per person of any state, according to the state tourism department. Knowing the farmer who grew your dinner is normal here.

5. A Landscape That's Been Protected

Vermont banned billboards in 1968, and it shows: the drive between towns is farms, forests, mountains, and red barns, not advertising. About 100 covered bridges still stand. Downtowns like Woodstock, Stowe, Middlebury, and Montpelier, the smallest state capital in the country, still look like New England villages because people worked to keep them that way.

6. A Slower, Saner Pace

With about 645,000 residents, Vermont is the second-smallest state by population. Traffic is rare outside Burlington, the average commute is 23.5 minutes, and a crowded trail means there's another car at the trailhead. Many people who move here say the biggest change isn't the scenery. It's having time.

7. More Home and Land for the Money Than Many Northeast Metros

Vermont's statewide median sale price was $438,280 in August 2026. That's above the national average but often reasonable for buyers coming from Boston, New York, or Connecticut, and it can buy acreage, a view, or a village home within walking distance of a general store. Prices vary widely by town: 2026 single-family medians ran from $299,750 in Barre City to $1,285,000 in Stowe.

What to Know Before You Move

Loving Vermont is easy. Living here well takes planning. These are the trade-offs Vermonters accept, and the ones newcomers should budget for.

1. Winter Is Long

Snow, cold, and short days are part of life from late fall into spring. Plan for snow removal, winter tires, and heating. At the end of the 2025-2026 heating season, Vermont residential heating oil averaged $5.558 a gallon and propane $3.733 a gallon (EIA), or about $556 and $373 per 100 gallons. Ask for a home's past fuel usage before you buy.

2. Mud Season

When the ground thaws in spring, many of Vermont's dirt roads turn soft and rutted for several weeks. If you're looking at a home on a dirt road, drive it in spring if you can.

3. Higher Everyday Costs

Vermont's cost of living was 13.4% above the national average in the second quarter of 2026, driven by housing (28.2% above average) and utilities (13.7% above average), according to MERIC. MIT's living wage calculator puts the basic cost of living at $51,831 a year for a single adult and $140,205 for a two-earner household with two children. See our Vermont cost of living guide for the full breakdown.

4. Taxes

Vermont has an income tax (3.35% to 8.75%), a 6% sales tax, and property taxes averaging about 1.51% of home value, though bills vary widely by town. Filing a Homestead Declaration for your primary home keeps you on the lower homestead education rate. See Vermont Property Taxes Explained.

5. Health Insurance Costs

In 2026, the benchmark marketplace plan for a 40-year-old averaged $1,299 a month in Vermont before subsidies, compared with $625 nationally (KFF). Many households qualify for premium tax credits through Vermont Health Connect, and most people with employer coverage pay only part of the premium. Outside the larger towns, you may also drive farther for specialist care.

6. A Smaller Job Market

Chittenden County, around Burlington, has the largest concentration of jobs, and health care, education, state government, and tourism are major employers. Outside those fields, many newcomers bring remote jobs with them.

7. Fewer Big-City Amenities

Burlington has the most restaurants, culture, and shopping. Elsewhere, big-box stores, specialty shopping, and some services can be a drive away.

Who Vermont Tends to Work Best For

• Remote workers with a portable income and reliable internet at home
• Retirees, especially those bringing home equity from a higher-priced market
• Outdoor enthusiasts who ski, hike, paddle, or bike and will use it year-round
• People who want to be part of a small community and get involved in it

Who May Find It Harder

• Households depending on one entry-level wage, given Vermont's costs
• People who want big-city amenities close by every day
• Careers that require a large metro job market, unless the work is remote
• Anyone who dislikes winter driving and snow

Is Vermont Right for You? Questions to Ask Yourself

• Can I afford Vermont's housing, heating, and insurance costs comfortably?
• Will I spend time outdoors often, in every season?
• Is my income remote, retired, or tied to a job here?
• Have I visited in February and in mud season, not just in summer and fall?
• Have I compared specific towns, not just the state as a whole?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do people love living in Vermont?

Vermonters most often point to the outdoors in every season, small towns where neighbors know and help each other, local food and farms, and a slower pace of life. The landscape has been protected, with billboards banned since 1968.

Is Vermont a good place to live?

For people who value the outdoors, small towns, and four seasons, and who can handle winter and higher costs, yes. Vermont's cost of living runs 13.4% above the national average, and it tends to work best for remote workers and retirees.

What are the biggest downsides of living in Vermont?

Long winters and heating costs, mud season on dirt roads, a cost of living above the national average, health insurance premiums about twice the national average for people buying their own coverage, and a job market concentrated around Burlington.

How much money do you need to live in Vermont?

MIT's living wage calculator puts Vermont's basic cost of living at $51,831 a year for a single adult and $140,205 for a two-earner household with two children (February 2026). Vermont's median household income was $81,203 (2020-2024).

Where can I find crime and school information for a Vermont town?

For crime statistics, use the FBI's Crime Data Explorer. For schools, the Vermont Agency of Education publishes school and district data. School districts often cover several towns, so check which district serves a specific address.

Is internet good enough in Vermont to work remotely?

Often, but it varies by address. About 89.7% of Vermont households have a broadband subscription. Before you buy, confirm which providers serve the exact property.

What to Do Next

We help people figure out whether Vermont fits, and which town fits best, before they buy. Call our office at 802-253-4711, reach Tony Walton directly at 802-233-4107, or contact us.

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• Moving to Vermont: The Complete Relocation Guide
• Vermont Cost of Living Guide
• Vermont vs. New Hampshire
• Vermont Home Buying Guide
• Vermont Home Cost Calculator

Compare markets: Burlington · Waterbury · Stowe · Montpelier · Mad River Valley

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Vermont (population, age, income, broadband, commute)
• Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, 2025 Maple Season Production
• Green Mountain Club, The Long Trail
• Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, Vermont Facts (ski areas, covered bridges, billboard ban, breweries, Montpelier)
• MERIC, Cost of Living Data Series (Second Quarter 2026)
• MIT Living Wage Calculator, Vermont (updated February 15, 2026)
• KFF, Average Marketplace Premiums by Metal Tier (2026)
• U.S. Energy Information Administration, Vermont Heating Oil and Propane Prices (March 30, 2026)
• Redfin, Vermont Housing Market (August 2026 data)
• Town medians: New England Landmark Realty from MLS single-family sales, January 1 to late September 2026
• Vermont Department of Taxes, Tax Year 2025 Rate Schedules; Tax Foundation, Vermont
• FBI Crime Data Explorer; Vermont Agency of Education, Data and Reporting

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