Best places to live in Vermont
CityLedger tracks 1 Vermont metro, led by Burlington. Every figure below is computed from public U.S. government data and links to a full profile.
CityLedger tracks one metro in Vermont: the Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metro Area, anchored by Burlington with a population around 229,550. Its median household income is $89,615 and median rent runs $1,631 a month — the figures everything below is built from, each linked to its public source.
Burlington is the standout for affordability: it carries Vermont's lowest overall price level (about 101 against a U.S. average of 100) and, because pay holds up against those low costs, also the state's highest cost-adjusted income — about $88,773, the clearest sign of where a paycheck stretches furthest.
Taxes shift the picture in ways a cost-of-living index alone misses: Vermont levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower here than in no-income-tax states at the same salary, and combined state and local sales tax averages about 6.4% (Tax Foundation). Our salary calculator folds federal, FICA, and Vermont state tax into a single take-home figure for any metro here.
Burlington earns the state's highest CityLedger livability score, 77/100; Burlington is the fastest-growing, up 4.6% over the latest population estimate; Burlington carries the lowest natural-hazard loss rate, about $9 per $10,000 of property (FEMA). Open any metro below for the full, sourced breakdown behind these figures.
| Metro | Livability | Cost of living | Median income | Median rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, VT | 77 | 101 | $89,615 | $1,631/mo |
Browse every metro on the cities index or the rankings.
Living in Vermont — frequently asked
- What is the most affordable metro in Vermont?
- By overall price level, Burlington is the most affordable metro in Vermont, at about 101 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA Regional Price Parities). Affordability also depends on local pay — see where a paycheck stretches furthest below.
- Where does a paycheck go furthest in Vermont?
- Burlington has the highest cost-adjusted income in Vermont — a median of about $88,773 once local prices are factored in, meaning typical pay buys the most there.
- Does Vermont have a state income tax?
- Yes. Vermont levies a state income tax, which lowers take-home pay relative to no-income-tax states; combined state and local sales tax also averages about 6.4%. Our salary calculator estimates the exact take-home for each metro.
- Which Vermont metro has the highest livability score?
- Burlington, at 77/100 on CityLedger's livability score — a transparent blend of affordability, jobs, income, education, and commute, all from public data.