Pros, cons, key stats, and the strongest Vermont cities to consider. Based on our analysis of 16 tracked Vermont city markets.
Yes, for many movers. The better answer is city-specific: Vermont contains both stronger and weaker markets, and the right fit depends on your budget, job needs, climate tolerance, and tax situation.
Pros
- Middle-of-the-pack tracked-city housing ($363,439)
- Healthy housing-market momentum in tracked cities (66/100 median)
- St. Johnsbury is one of the strongest current city signals in Vermont
Cons
- High top state income-tax rate (8.75%)
- High effective property tax rate (1.83%)
- Social Security may be taxed by the state, depending on income
- Tracked cities are losing population (-0.2%/yr median)
- Fewer large/mid-size city options than bigger states (16 tracked)
What this means in practice
Across 16 tracked Vermont city markets, the median home costs $363,439 with a 1-year change of +1.1% and a median momentum score of 66 out of 100.
On taxes, Top marginal 8.75% income tax. High property tax. SS taxed but exemption under AGI threshold. That matters because the cheapest state on paper can still be expensive if property tax, insurance, or local housing costs overwhelm the headline rate.
State-level averages mask city-level variation — within any state, individual cities can have radically different cost, climate, and trajectory. Use the strongest-momentum cities below as a starting point.
Top 5 Vermont cities by momentum
- St. Johnsbury — momentum 79, median $264,465
- Rutland — momentum 75, median $279,492
- Middlebury — momentum 69, median $451,275
- Barre — momentum 66, median $306,660
- South Burlington — momentum 65, median $483,761