Are you considering hanging up your skis and settling in the Green Mountain State? We’ve figured out which places in Vermont are the best for retirement.
If the cold doesn’t bother you, Vermont’s a great state to retire in. Whether you’re a life-long Ben and Jerry’s fan who wants to be closer to the source or a maple syrup enthusiast who wants to tap a tree in their backyard, Vermont’s got you covered.
As a bonus, Vermont is the third safest state in the country, so you won’t have to worry about crime in your retirement.
How did we conclude that these are the best places for retirement in Vermont? We looked at cities with a population of at least 2,000. Then we analyzed which places had the least crime, the most to do, a higher median age, and the best weather, all at the lowest price.
Snap on your skis, fill a mason jar with maple syrup, and get ready because we’re visiting the best places in Vermont to retire.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Vermont For 2026
- Vergennes
- Randolph
- Bristol
- Windsor
- Shelburne
- Bellows Falls
- Newport
- Montpelier
- Milton
- Fair Haven
What’s the best place to retire in Vermont? According to the data, Vergennes is the best place to retire in Vermont.
While Vermont’s biggest cities are Burlington and Rutland, they aren’t the best spots to retire. The places on this list are mostly somewhere in between the two biggest cities, with some outliers like Newport (basically in Canada) and Bennington (in the southwestern corner, near the Massachusetts and New York borders). If you’ve got kids or grandkids you don’t want to be too far from, make a note that 60% of the cities on this list overlap with our list of best cities to raise a family in Vermont.
And it doesn’t matter if you’re a hardcore skier or just really love quaint mountain resorts because Stowe will meet your needs either way.
You may just have an easy time convincing the family to move close by.
Why did Vergennes take the top spot? And where are Burlington and South Burlington?
For more Vermont state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Vermont
- Cheapest Places To Live In Vermont
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Vermont
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Vermont For 2026
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Population: 2,007
Median Income: $75,069
Median Home Price: $344,903
Median Rent: $1,095
Distance to Closest Airport: 44 miles
More on Randolph: Movers
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Population: 2,142
Median Income: $73,064
Median Home Price: $389,880
Median Rent: $1,288
Distance to Closest Airport: 23 miles
More on Bristol: Crime | Movers
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Population: 2,060
Median Income: $51,197
Median Home Price: $285,515
Median Rent: $1,002
Distance to Closest Airport: 78 miles
More on Windsor: Crime | Movers
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Population: 6,499
Median Income: $109,583
Median Home Price: $689,015
Median Rent: $1,439
Distance to Closest Airport: 7 miles
More on Shelburne: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 8,014
Median Income: $81,030
Median Home Price: $414,351
Median Rent: $1,302
Distance to Closest Airport: 32 miles
More on Montpelier: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 3,555
Median Income: $77,550
Median Home Price: $457,021
Median Rent: $1,471
Distance to Closest Airport: 11 miles
More on Milton: Crime | Movers
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Population: 2,537
Median Income: $66,131
Median Home Price: $234,349
Median Rent: $768
Distance to Closest Airport: 60 miles
More on Fair Haven: Crime | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Green Mountain State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Vermont to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Green Mountain State — 120 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 2,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 22 places from across the state.
For these 22, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 22, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Vergennes, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Vermont.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Vermont Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Vermont goes to Vergennes.
The best places to retire in Vermont are Vergennes, Randolph, Bristol, Windsor, Shelburne, Bellows Falls, Newport, Montpelier, Milton, and Fair Haven.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Burlington
- South Burlington
- St. Albans
For more Vermont reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Vermont
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vergennes | 2,565 | $76,587 | $357,848 | $1,000 |
| 2 | Randolph | 2,007 | $75,069 | $344,903 | $1,095 |
| 3 | Bristol | 2,142 | $73,064 | $389,880 | $1,288 |
| 4 | Windsor | 2,060 | $51,197 | $285,515 | $1,002 |
| 5 | Shelburne | 6,499 | $109,583 | $689,015 | $1,439 |
| 6 | Bellows Falls | 2,891 | $56,086 | $235,015 | $1,038 |
| 7 | Newport | 4,394 | $54,646 | $254,527 | $850 |
| 8 | Montpelier | 8,014 | $81,030 | $414,351 | $1,302 |
| 9 | Milton | 3,555 | $77,550 | $457,021 | $1,471 |
| 10 | Fair Haven | 2,537 | $66,131 | $234,349 | $768 |