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You've seen these lists before: Best places to live in Vermont, Most Beautiful Downtowns, etc., etc. But all of them focus on major cities and towns in the Green Mountain State and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that's all about to change as we put together a list of the best small towns in Vermont based on numbers--not opinions or hearsay.
We'll dive right into our methodology in the next section; but first, we thought you might just want to know which places in Vermont ranked the based--you know, based on science.
Before we get to the top 15, here's a look at the 10 Best Small Towns To Live in Vermont for 2022.
The 10 Best Small Towns To Live In Vermont For 2022
What's the best small town in Vermont? Woodstock is the best small town in Vermont based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Woodstock, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you--keep reading and we'll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Green Mountain State check out:
The 15 Best Small Towns In Vermont For 2022
/10
Population: 1,091
Median Income: $70,268 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $408,800 (1st Best)
More on Woodstock: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
Population: 1,023
Median Income: $58,462 (12th Best)
Median Home Value: $229,000 (8th Best)
More on Chester: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,077
Median Income: $92,188 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $268,800 (3rd Best)
More on Jericho: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,110
Median Income: $54,792 (15th Best)
Median Home Value: $188,200 (13th Best)
More on South Barre: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,146
Median Income: $64,494 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $222,100 (9th Best)
More on Wilder: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,528
Median Income: $53,903 (16th Best)
Median Home Value: $230,800 (6th Best)
More on White River Junction: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,253
Median Income: $71,518 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $177,200 (16th Best)
More on Williamstown: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,607
Median Income: $63,859 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $219,800 (10th Best)
More on Vergennes: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,551
Median Income: $55,682 (14th Best)
Median Home Value: $209,300 (11th Best)
More on North Bennington: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,272
Median Income: $66,563 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $284,000 (2nd Best)
More on Manchester Center: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,141
Median Income: $18,564 (31st Best)
Median Home Value: $255,400 (4th Best)
More on Castleton: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,552
Median Income: $38,265 (27th Best)
Median Home Value: $162,000 (20th Best)
More on Brandon: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
Population: 1,029
Median Income: $80,667 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $154,500 (22nd Best)
More on Wallingford: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,483
Median Income: $62,564 (8th Best)
Median Home Value: $189,000 (12th Best)
More on Arlington: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,913
Median Income: $62,292 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $234,400 (5th Best)
More on Milton: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Vermont
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent data from the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which, there were a lot - 31 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 31, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Vermont. Top of that list -- Woodstock. You can download the data here.
Keep reading to find out more about our top 15 best small towns in Vermont.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once and we'll say it again -- this list: it's just science. We did the research, we crunched the numbers, and it turns out, these 15 small towns in Vermont are the best, in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
If you're curious, here are the worst small towns in Vermont:
- Richford
- Enosburg Falls
- Springfield
For more Vermont reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Best Small Towns In Vermont
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Woodstock, VT | 1,091 |
2 | Chester, VT | 1,023 |
3 | Jericho, VT | 1,077 |
4 | South Barre, VT | 1,110 |
5 | Wilder, VT | 3,146 |
6 | White River Junction, VT | 2,528 |
7 | Williamstown, VT | 1,253 |
8 | Vergennes, VT | 2,607 |
9 | North Bennington, VT | 1,551 |
10 | Manchester Center, VT | 2,272 |
11 | Castleton, VT | 1,141 |
12 | Brandon, VT | 1,552 |
13 | Wallingford, VT | 1,029 |
14 | Arlington, VT | 1,483 |
15 | Milton, VT | 3,913 |
16 | West Rutland, VT | 2,072 |
17 | Lyndonville, VT | 1,407 |
18 | Swanton, VT | 2,328 |
19 | Bristol, VT | 2,095 |
20 | Bellows Falls, VT | 2,908 |
21 | West Brattleboro, VT | 3,042 |
22 | Newport, VT | 4,244 |
23 | Windsor, VT | 2,042 |
24 | Poultney, VT | 1,474 |
25 | Morrisville, VT | 2,017 |
26 | Hardwick, VT | 1,012 |
27 | Randolph, VT | 2,044 |
28 | Fair Haven, VT | 2,273 |
29 | Springfield, VT | 4,028 |
30 | Enosburg Falls, VT | 1,350 |
31 | Richford, VT | 1,619 |