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 12 places in Vermont over 5,000 people.
Let’s dive in and explore these cheap yet charming corners of The Green Mountain State.
$53,711 median income · $912 median rent · #1 home prices in Vermont
St. Johnsbury took home the top spot on the list of the cheapest cities in Vermont for 2026. 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 $217,181 and an average rent of $912, the overall cost of living index comes in at 95. Burke Mountain is nearby for skiing, and the Great Vermont Corn Maze offers a weekend activity.
$65,625 median income · $1,093 median rent · #4 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Washington County, Vermont
Located in northern Vermont outside of Montpelier on Route 302 is Barre, the second most affordable place to live in Vermont for 2026. 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 $300,280, while you can find a place to rent for just $1,093.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$57,675 median income · $995 median rent · #3 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Rutland County, Vermont
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 $276,480. Rutland is safely in the top ten for housing to income ratios statewide, for both renters and buyers.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$54,257 median income · $1,115 median rent · #2 home prices in Vermont
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 103 is 7.0 points below the state average in Bennington. Woodford State Park is right next door for cheap things to do.
$52,734 median income · $1,113 median rent · #5 home prices in Vermont
On the Vermont and New Hampshire border, Brattleboro has the fifth lowest home prices and a solid ninth best home-price-to-income ratio. The city has the fifth 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.
$57,980 median income · $1,150 median rent · #6 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Franklin County, Vermont
Located a half hour north of Burlington, St. Albans ranks as the sixth cheapest place to live in Vermont. For a city of just 6,954 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 $361,249 and a median income of $57,980, St. Albans enjoys the tenth best home price to income ratio in Vermont.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$79,522 median income · $1,643 median rent · #8 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Chittenden County, Vermont
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 eighth lowest in the state at $427,517. Winooski is close to Gilbrook Nature Area and the Winooski River for outdoor activities.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$81,030 median income · $1,302 median rent · #7 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Washington County, Vermont
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 $1,302 is the second highest on this list, folks in Montpelier earn a median income of $81,030, meaning that the city has the third 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$86,250 median income · $1,201 median rent · #9 home prices in Vermont
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 $451,189 and the overall cost of living sits at 120, -9.1% lower than the Vermont average.
Middlebury is next to the Middlebury Snowbowl for skiing and Branbury State Park.
$71,109 median income · $1,649 median rent · #11 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Chittenden County, Vermont
Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located 45 miles south of the Canada-United States border and 94 miles south of Canada’s second most populous municipality, Montreal. The city’s population was 42,452 according to a 2015 U.S. census estimate. It is the least populous municipality in the United States to be the most populous incorporated area in a state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Vermont’s statewide median.
Vermont statewide median: $394,038
Vermont statewide median: $81,203
On the map
Where your money goes furthest in Vermont
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Green Mountain State for 2026
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 2020-2024 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 12 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 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in Vermont.
The full plate
Cheapest Places To Live In Vermont
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Johnsbury | 5,859 | 95 | $53,711 | $217,181 | $912 |
| 2 | Barre | 8,412 | 98 | $65,625 | $300,280 | $1,093 |
| 3 | Rutland | 15,712 | 99 | $57,675 | $276,480 | $995 |
| 4 | Bennington | 9,245 | 103 | $54,257 | $243,918 | $1,115 |
| 5 | Brattleboro | 7,657 | 105 | $52,734 | $314,813 | $1,113 |
| 6 | St. Albans | 6,954 | 106 | $57,980 | $361,249 | $1,150 |
| 7 | Winooski | 8,293 | 111 | $79,522 | $427,517 | $1,643 |
| 8 | Montpelier | 8,014 | 111 | $81,030 | $414,351 | $1,302 |
| 9 | Middlebury | 7,220 | 120 | $86,250 | $451,189 | $1,201 |
| 10 | Burlington | 44,675 | 121 | $71,109 | $506,784 | $1,649 |
| 11 | South Burlington | 20,756 | 122 | $106,667 | $481,493 | $1,787 |
| 12 | Shelburne | 6,499 | 131 | $109,583 | $689,015 | $1,439 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, cost-of-living data. 12 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Vermont Affordability Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Vermont for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Vermont.
The cheapest cities in Vermont are St. Johnsbury, Barre, Rutland, Bennington, Brattleboro, St. Albans, Winooski, Montpelier, Middlebury, and Burlington.
