Cost of Living in Vermont

157 cities | Population: 276,527

Average Cost of Living Index (US = 100)

Median Income: $72,974

Cost of Living in Vermont: Overview

Vermont has a cost of living index of 92, making it 8% less expensive than the national average. The statewide median household income is $72,974 (3% below the US median of $75,149). Across 157 cities tracked in Vermont, costs vary widely depending on location, proximity to metro areas, and local housing markets.

Housing drives most of the variation. The average median rent across Vermont cities is $1,084/mo (18% below the national median of $1,319), and the average median home value is $258,773 (15% below the national figure of $304,900). There is a 45-point spread between the most affordable city, St. Johnsbury (index 76), and the most expensive, South Burlington (index 121) — a moderate range typical of states with a mix of urban and rural areas.

When evaluating Vermont, it helps to look beyond the state average. Individual city costs can deviate significantly — use the map and rankings below to compare specific locations.

The largest cities in Vermont by population are Burlington (index 117, pop. 44,649), South Burlington (index 121, pop. 20,488), Rutland (index 78, pop. 15,747), Essex Junction (index 110, pop. 10,720), and Bennington (index 84, pop. 8,888). Cost of living varies considerably even among these major population centers, highlighting the importance of comparing individual cities rather than relying on the state average alone.

Data: US Census Bureau (ACS 2023), Zillow, HUD, BEA Regional Price Parities. Updated monthly.

Cost of Living Map

Top 47 cities by population. Click a marker for details.

Most Expensive in Vermont

1. South Burlington (20,488) 121 2. Burlington (44,649) 117 3. Winooski (8,198) 114 4. Shelburne (6,292) 114 5. Essex Junction (10,720) 110 6. Middlebury (7,145) 106 7. Montpelier (8,038) 99 8. St. Albans (6,910) 91 9. Brattleboro (7,793) 86 10. Bennington (8,888) 84

Cheapest in Vermont

1. St. Johnsbury (5,945) 76 2. Rutland (15,747) 78 3. Barre (8,461) 82 4. Bennington (8,888) 84 5. Brattleboro (7,793) 86 6. St. Albans (6,910) 91 7. Montpelier (8,038) 99 8. Middlebury (7,145) 106 9. Essex Junction (10,720) 110 10. Shelburne (6,292) 114

Best Places to Live in Vermont (2026)

Our data-driven guide ranking the top 15 cities by affordability, income, housing, and climate.

All Cities in Vermont (157)

City	Population	Cost Index	Median Income	Median Rent	Home Value
Burlington	44,649	117	$68,854	$1,609/mo	$400,200
South Burlington	20,488	121	$97,229	$1,755/mo	$399,600
Rutland	15,747	78	$55,000	$942/mo	$176,400
Essex Junction	10,720	110	$94,423	$1,439/mo	$376,800
Bennington	8,888	84	$53,839	$1,095/mo	$185,100
Barre	8,461	82	$53,288	$986/mo	$200,100
Winooski	8,198	114	$77,020	$1,635/mo	$350,700
Montpelier	8,038	99	$79,175	$1,169/mo	$349,200
Brattleboro	7,793	86	$46,972	$1,028/mo	$239,500
Middlebury	7,145	106	$74,900	$1,287/mo	$388,100
St. Albans	6,910	91	$53,370	$1,166/mo	$245,600
Shelburne	6,292	114	$106,187	$1,238/mo	$496,700
St. Johnsbury	5,945	76	$49,033	$887/mo	$171,900
Newport	4,413	76	$48,194	$849/mo	$179,000
Northfield	4,165	84	$50,417	$977/mo	$233,700
Springfield	3,882	69	$44,375	$726/mo	$138,400
Milton	3,510	110	$82,750	$1,643/mo	$309,000
Wilder	3,394	91	$69,063	$1,200/mo	$241,000
White River Junction	2,878	90	$73,546	$1,116/mo	$250,700
Bellows Falls	2,851	82	$54,836	$1,071/mo	$176,000
Swanton	2,732	83	$71,307	$1,021/mo	$210,000
West Brattleboro	2,614	82	$39,555	$881/mo	$249,200
Vergennes	2,571	88	$85,417	$1,040/mo	$263,500
Morrisville	2,527	94	$66,792	$1,242/mo	$258,800
Fair Haven	2,435	73	$65,898	$818/mo	$163,000
West Rutland	2,144	82	$53,373	$1,051/mo	$178,300
Bristol	2,005	99	$71,372	$1,290/mo	$298,200
Windsor	1,961	78	$48,371	$988/mo	$158,800
Randolph	1,946	83	$59,203	$961/mo	$225,800
Manchester Center	1,935	89	$88,786	$875/mo	$330,300
Brandon	1,892	86	$54,138	$1,077/mo	$218,800
Arlington	1,871	87	$73,164	$1,090/mo	$231,800
Waterbury	1,728	92	$59,934	$984/mo	$332,900
Johnson	1,668	90	$48,355	$976/mo	—
Williamstown	1,622	103	$90,938	$1,732/mo	$182,200
Richford	1,600	83	$49,954	$1,136/mo	$157,100
Enosburg Falls	1,595	77	$54,583	$837/mo	$196,100
Proctor	1,568	82	$65,375	$1,010/mo	$196,100
Chester	1,356	84	$67,782	$938/mo	$245,300
North Bennington	1,342	103	$67,500	$1,500/mo	$275,000
Bradford	1,326	88	$96,213	$1,072/mo	$246,400
South Barre	1,259	105	$78,162	$1,631/mo	$246,900
Jericho	1,230	121	$94,063	$1,752/mo	$397,800
Lyndonville	1,229	92	$43,693	$1,083/mo	$290,000
Poultney	1,105	75	$61,597	$833/mo	$175,000
Norwich	1,081	141	$167,625	$1,750/mo	$642,200
Hardwick	1,047	74	$41,667	$806/mo	$175,300
Woodstock	983	123	$103,750	$1,122/mo	$659,300
Fairfax	886	94	$56,667	$1,009/mo	$348,600
Derby Line	860	79	$69,000	$959/mo	$180,600
Orleans	848	71	$57,604	$757/mo	$156,300
Castleton Four Corners	807	88	$44,934	—	$153,400
Ludlow	755	89	$53,654	$1,029/mo	$278,300
Stowe	745	100	$84,429	$1,310/mo	—
Jeffersonville	729	96	$57,083	$1,165/mo	$305,800
Hartland	713	100	$99,232	—	—
Island Pond	698	69	$47,500	$795/mo	$118,900
Barton	697	69	$35,341	$746/mo	$133,800
Derby Center	684	85	$55,625	$1,096/mo	$203,800
Wallingford	680	85	$79,750	$919/mo	$262,900
Richmond	675	112	$62,240	$1,814/mo	$261,900
Manchester	642	87	$62,813	$479/mo	$458,100
Westminster	622	86	$90,938	$915/mo	$285,300
Pownal	587	93	$55,156	—	$215,900
Alburgh	586	99	$62,955	$1,620/mo	$175,000
Hinesburg	581	101	$53,627	$1,553/mo	$230,200
Huntington	579	97	$87,250	—	$264,100
Killington Village	578	95	$62,000	$892/mo	$400,000
Pittsford	559	89	$44,107	—	$162,100
Bethel	555	92	$66,250	$1,135/mo	$269,100
North Troy	550	62	$51,797	$541/mo	$120,200
Hartford Village	548	96	$71,250	$1,169/mo	—
Underhill Flats	537	87	$72,422	$951/mo	$275,300
Stamford	522	97	$88,750	—	$263,600
Saxtons River	519	85	$91,250	$1,144/mo	$187,100
Groton	514	59	$75,583	$295/mo	$180,900
Pownal Center	475	110	$74,286	—	$424,400
St. George	466	102	$88,750	$1,352/mo	$316,200
South Shaftsbury	442	91	$58,692	—	$194,200
Plainfield	441	82	$44,698	$1,104/mo	$163,800
Hyde Park	434	99	$86,467	$1,322/mo	$288,900
North Springfield	432	89	$67,290	—	$163,000
Marshfield	431	84	$81,875	$1,136/mo	$169,300
Lunenburg	430	87	$43,523	—	$143,100
Websterville	427	88	$74,135	—	$159,600
Wells	423	88	$73,750	$1,208/mo	$198,400
Chelsea	416	79	$45,333	$1,076/mo	$139,200
Ascutney	413	92	$50,161	—	$200,900
Highgate Center	410	103	$116,049	—	$344,000
North Hartland	406	105	$76,333	—	$359,600
Putney	394	81	$63,750	$808/mo	$262,900
East Middlebury	390	93	$86,326	—	$219,700
Newbury	381	78	$62,679	$697/mo	$261,000
Bakersfield	377	94	$88,438	—	$224,400
Wilmington	370	88	$54,861	$967/mo	$290,400
Graniteville	362	80	$36,349	$1,087/mo	$140,900
Dorset	349	115	$148,385	—	$482,400
North Hyde Park	346	90	$59,458	—	$177,600
North Pownal	345	91	$71,250	—	$196,400
Wells River	339	71	$40,556	$755/mo	$160,800
Rochester	335	84	$36,932	$919/mo	$251,500
Cavendish	316	98	$117,500	$1,417/mo	$246,200
Proctorsville	309	85	$64,167	$1,042/mo	$225,000
Greensboro Bend	308	95	$88,281	—	$244,800
Pawlet	306	103	$53,000	$1,489/mo	$275,000
Canaan	305	67	$56,250	$742/mo	$118,000
Readsboro	299	70	$43,472	$701/mo	$160,400
Lincoln	290	88	$78,125	$845/mo	$328,800
North Clarendon	273	71	$38,750	$751/mo	$157,500
East Poultney	257	94	$73,654	—	$226,100
Lowell	231	90	$79,250	—	$184,400
Waterbury Center	228	99	$151,389	—	$292,500
Glover	225	70	$41,964	$836/mo	$116,400
Cabot	219	90	$66,167	—	$181,300
Wolcott	209	81	$39,904	$1,091/mo	$155,600
Sheffield	200	74	$63,750	$983/mo	$106,300
Troy	193	90	$89,313	—	$178,900
Benson	191	82	$33,214	$1,094/mo	$164,100
West Charlotte	187	111	$105,547	—	$436,800
South Londonderry	184	100	$61,964	—	—
New Haven	184	93	$82,083	$1,036/mo	$320,600
South Hero	183	112	$118,750	—	$442,900
Westford	182	99	$142,083	—	$285,500
Algiers	182	122	$72,500	$2,025/mo	—
Bolton Valley	177	96	$118,036	$1,409/mo	$221,200
Cambridge	173	88	$50,595	$1,090/mo	$241,100
Irasburg	167	76	$67,083	$922/mo	$152,100
Waitsfield	166	113	$23,068	—	$460,000
Danby	166	92	$62,500	—	$210,000
Sutton	165	93	$80,481	—	$213,600
Concord	165	80	$65,417	$1,105/mo	$133,100
West Burke	165	82	$24,444	$933/mo	$220,000
Albany	161	91	$96,250	—	$187,500
Harmonyville	159	96	$65,795	—	$258,300
South Lincoln	159	101	$123,750	—	$308,100
Townshend	158	87	$38,295	$1,050/mo	$245,800
Old Bennington	153	108	$154,375	—	$394,600
North Westminster	152	89	$69,906	—	$165,400
Jacksonville	152	97	$100,278	—	$261,500
Whitingham	147	93	$87,679	—	$222,200
Gilman	146	83	$57,955	—	$97,900
Huntington Center	143	93	$91,862	$955/mo	$353,300
East Burke	141	101	$80,000	—	$315,500
East Charlotte	135	100	$165,446	—	—
Middletown Springs	134	85	$66,250	$1,125/mo	$190,300
Chittenden	123	94	$101,500	—	$230,400
Worcester	113	79	$63,750	$839/mo	$225,000
Greensboro	109	90	$63,750	$400/mo	$525,000
Fairlee	100	87	$60,250	$993/mo	$266,200
Stratton Mountain	97	161	$174,722	—	$1,045,500
Grafton	74	118	$111,875	—	$517,900
Beecher Falls	73	84	$57,639	—	$104,200
Wardsboro	67	97	$91,250	—	$267,900
Weston	58	122	$117,083	—	$569,400
Jamaica	55	98	$81,136	—	$272,700
Hanksville	50	104	$109,167	—	$346,200
Coventry	36	93	$103,750	—	$211,400