The most affordable places to live in Vermont – now that’s a topic that’s as sweet as the state’s famous maple syrup.
While some Vermont places may be known for their ski slopes, like Stow, or the birthplace of Ben & Jerry’s, Burlington, many Vermont towns are also gaining recognition for their affordable living.
Now, how do you define what makes a place affordable? We used Saturday Night Science and US Census data to compare housing costs, incomes, and the cost of living data for the 13 places in Vermont over 5,000 people.
Let’s dive in and explore these cheap yet charming corners of The Green Mountain State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Vermont
What’s the most affordable place to live in Vermont? St. Johnsbury is the most affordable place to live in Vermont.
It turns out many of Vermont’s most affordable places are some of its safest.
Keep reading for a full breakdown of the cheapest places in Vermont.
Check out some more reading about Vermont and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Vermont For 2024
/10
Population: 5,963
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 99
Median Income: $48,542
Median Home Price: $226,487
Median Rent: $883
St. Johnsbury took home the top spot on the list of the cheapest cities in Vermont for 2024. Vermont is an overall very expensive state to live in, and St. Johnsbury is the only place to have a cost of living under the national average.
With an average home price of $226,487 and an average rent of $883, the overall cost of living index comes in at 99. Burke Mountain is nearby for skiing, and the Great Vermont Corn Maze offers a weekend activity.
More on St. Johnsbury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 15,819
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $53,304
Median Home Price: $245,284
Median Rent: $856
One of the biggest cities in Vermont, Rutland also scores quite high in terms of affordability. Rutland got an 8/10 on our overall SnackAbility scale, so you know it’s got a good market for jobs and homes, solid schools, and awesome stuff to do. Those with a background in liberal arts will appreciate the Norman Rockwell Museum, while folks just trying to shred some sweet VT powder will be drawn more by nearby Pico Mountain. However you get your kicks, Rutland’s got you covered with the third cheapest homes in Vermont at $245,284. Rutland is safely in the top ten for housing to income ratios statewide, for both renters and buyers.
More on Rutland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,488
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $53,798
Median Home Price: $287,477
Median Rent: $955
Located in northern Vermont outside of Montpelier on Route 302 is Barre, the third most affordable place to live in Vermont for 2024. This charming town of some 9,000 people stakes its claim to the Granite Center of The World because of vast granite deposits found here. And while “Barre Gray” granite might be some of the most coveted granite in the world for luxury apartments, the city of Barre has kept to its miner roots and still maintains its affordability.
Like much of Vermont, it’s incredibly safe to live here and the weather is nice, as long as you like it cold and snowy. You can expect over 40 inches of precipitation each year and summer highs in the 60s.
Overall, the cost of living in Barre is well below the state average and 15% below the national average. Housing here is especially affordable as the city has the fourth cheapest homes and third cheapest rent anywhere in Vermont. The median home price in Barre is $287,477, while you can find a place to rent for just $955.
More on Barre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,753
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 102
Median Income: $51,221
Median Home Price: $236,017
Median Rent: $990
Bennington, located in Bennington County about an hour north of Albany, is the fourth lowest cost city in the state. The city has the second best home price to income in the Green Mountain State.
The cost of living index at 102 is 9 points below the state average in Bennington. Woodford State Park is right next door for cheap things to do.
More on Bennington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,891
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 104
Median Income: $49,736
Median Home Price: $342,754
Median Rent: $1,143
Located a half hour north of Burlington, St. Albans ranks as the fifth cheapest place to live in Vermont. For a city of just 6,891 people, St. Albans has some serious activity going on. Between the boating at Kamp Kill Kare and the shopping at the historic downtown area, you better believe you’ll never be bored just because you’re on a budget in St. Albans. With a median home price of $342,754 and a median income of $49,736, St. Albans enjoys the 11th best home price to income ratio in Vermont.
More on St. Albans: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,543
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 107
Median Income: $42,776
Median Home Price: $322,734
Median Rent: $1,036
On the Vermont and New Hampshire border, Brattleboro has the fifth lowest home prices and a solid 12th best home-price-to-income ratio. The city has the sixth lowest overall cost of living.
Brattleboro has been steadily getting cheaper over the years and has fun things to do, including being right next to Molly Stark State Park and a short drive to the Brattleboro Ski Hill.
More on Brattleboro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,122
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 113
Median Income: $69,783
Median Home Price: $399,286
Median Rent: $1,516
You know you are winning on savings with plenty left to ski in Winooski. A Burlington suburb, I’m sure no one has ever made that joke about the town before.
Winooski, in Chittenden County, ranks as the seventh cheapest city in Vermont. According to Zillow, the average home price is the seventh lowest in the state at $399,286. Winooski is close to Gilbrook Nature Area and the Winooski River for outdoor activities.
More on Winooski: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,030
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 113
Median Income: $76,143
Median Home Price: $400,336
Median Rent: $1,155
Next on our list of most affordable places to live in Vermont with a stop in the state’s capital city, Montpelier. We’ve already given Montpelier an 8.5/10 on our overall SnackAbility scale and named it one of the best places to live in Vermont, so this new credential as the eighth cheapest place to live is just a nice bonus. While a median rent of $1,155 is the second highest on this list, folks in Montpelier earn a median income of $76,143, meaning that the city has the second best rent to income ratio in Vermont.
There’s plenty to do in Montpelier, but my personal favorite is Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks. You might go in just to get a free taster, but I can guarantee you won’t be able to walk out without buying some sort of divine maple treat.
More on Montpelier: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,913
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 114
Median Income: $76,420
Median Home Price: $431,724
Median Rent: $1,336
A college town about an hour south of Burlington, Middlebury is the ninth cheapest city in the Green Mountain State. It’s easy to save money when home prices are $431,724 and the overall cost of living sits at 114, -2.7% lower than the Vermont average.
Middlebury is next to the Middlebury Snowbowl for skiing and Branbury State Park.
More on Middlebury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 20,241
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 118
Median Income: $90,410
Median Home Price: $462,054
Median Rent: $1,685
South of Burlington, you’ll find the tenth cheapest city in the state – South Burlington. It squeaked onto the list with a manageable 118 overall cost of living index 7 points lower than the state average.
The home price to income ratio of 5.11 places fourth best statewide. That means you have more of your income to spend on the annual trip to the Stowe Winter Carnival or Vermont Brewers Festival.
More on South Burlington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in Vermont FAQs
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 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.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Green Mountain State for 2024
Determining affordability for places in Vermont boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for Vermont using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Vermont to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 13 places in Vermont that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Vermont with the lowest cost of living according to the data is St. Johnsbury.
We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in Vermont.
Vermont Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Vermont for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Vermont.
The cheapest cities in Vermont are St. Johnsbury, Rutland, Barre, Bennington, St. Albans, Brattleboro, Winooski, Montpelier, Middlebury, and South Burlington.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Vermont according to the data:
- Shelburne
- Essex Junction
- Burlington
For more Vermont reading, check out:
Cheapest Places To Live In Vermont
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Johnsbury | 5,963 | 99 | $48,542 | $226,487 | $883 |
| 2 | Rutland | 15,819 | 101 | $53,304 | $245,284 | $856 |
| 3 | Barre | 8,488 | 101 | $53,798 | $287,477 | $955 |
| 4 | Bennington | 8,753 | 102 | $51,221 | $236,017 | $990 |
| 5 | St. Albans | 6,891 | 104 | $49,736 | $342,754 | $1,143 |
| 6 | Brattleboro | 7,543 | 107 | $42,776 | $322,734 | $1,036 |
| 7 | Winooski | 8,122 | 113 | $69,783 | $399,286 | $1,516 |
| 8 | Montpelier | 8,030 | 113 | $76,143 | $400,336 | $1,155 |
| 9 | Middlebury | 6,913 | 114 | $76,420 | $431,724 | $1,336 |
| 10 | South Burlington | 20,241 | 118 | $90,410 | $462,054 | $1,685 |
| 11 | Burlington | 44,646 | 119 | $64,931 | $503,909 | $1,540 |
| 12 | Essex Junction | 10,646 | 120 | $92,589 | $498,949 | $1,473 |
| 13 | Shelburne | 6,195 | 120 | $102,213 | $666,121 | $1,322 |