The county in Vermont with the lowest cost of living is Chittenden County. The average living wage in Chittenden County is $105,491 according to MIT data. Chittenden County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Vermont as a whole. Childcare costs $20,925 a year in Chittenden County for two children compared to the Vermont average of $18,306. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $19,536 per year in Chittenden County compared to $14,410 on average in Vermont.
The average home value in Chittenden County is $314,200 and the average income is $76,316 per year. Part of the reason this county has the lowest cost of living in Vermont is a relatively high level of poverty for Vermont and higher than average crime rates. These factors make a place less desirable to live, but also push down the cost of living.
No, Vermont is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #3 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Vermont ranks 48th most dangerous in the United States -- 53.1% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Green Mountain State ranks 45th most dangerous in the United States -- 37.73% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Yes, Burlington is a dangerous city. Burlington ranks as the #66 most dangerous out of 1433 major cities over 30,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Burlington might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Burlington ranks 490th highest in America -- 9.47% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 43rd highest in the United States -- 136.99% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is "dangerous". Despite the uptick in murders, it's nothing like you'd see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
The cost of living in Vermont is 7.7% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Vermont is $96,665 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Vermont household is $63,477.
The cheapest housing market in Vermont is Johnson. The average home value in Johnson is $0, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Vermont is $230,900, almost nan times higher than Johnson.