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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Vermont
What’s the most affordable place to live in Vermont? St. Johnsbury is the most affordable place to live in Vermont.
It turns out many of Vermont’s most affordable places are some of its safest.
Keep reading for a full breakdown of the cheapest places in Vermont.
Check out some more reading about Vermont and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Vermont For 2026
/10
Population: 5,859
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $53,711
Median Home Price: $217,181
Median Rent: $912
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.
More on St. Johnsbury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 8,412
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $65,625
Median Home Price: $300,280
Median Rent: $1,093
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.
More on Barre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 15,712
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 99
Median Income: $57,675
Median Home Price: $276,480
Median Rent: $995
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.
More on Rutland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 9,245
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 103
Median Income: $54,257
Median Home Price: $243,917
Median Rent: $1,115
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 points below the state average in Bennington. Woodford State Park is right next door for cheap things to do.
More on Bennington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,657
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 105
Median Income: $52,734
Median Home Price: $314,812
Median Rent: $1,113
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.
More on Brattleboro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 6,954
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 106
Median Income: $57,980
Median Home Price: $361,248
Median Rent: $1,150
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 $361,248 and a median income of $57,980, St. Albans enjoys the tenth best home price to income ratio in Vermont.
More on St. Albans: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 8,293
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 111
Median Income: $79,522
Median Home Price: $427,517
Median Rent: $1,643
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.
More on Winooski: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 8,014
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 111
Median Income: $81,030
Median Home Price: $414,351
Median Rent: $1,302
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.
More on Montpelier: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,220
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 120
Median Income: $86,250
Median Home Price: $451,189
Median Rent: $1,201
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.
More on Middlebury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 44,675
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 121
Median Income: $71,109
Median Home Price: $506,784
Median Rent: $1,649
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.
More on Burlington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Burlington Vermont is a nice small city on the coast of Lake Champlain. Nature is beautiful, great food scene and countless craft breweries to taste. Other than those things the city is missing more things to do, plus it is in need of updating everything. It is very dark at night so at intersections double check before driving through. Parks say they are smoke-free, but no one enforces that rule. The bike path is a cool thing but it needs to be modernized.
Skinny Pancake is a great restaurant located on the waterfront.
Cheapest places to live in Vermont FAQs
The county in Vermont with the lowest cost of living is Chittenden County. The average living wage in Chittenden County is $105,491 according to MIT data. Chittenden County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Vermont as a whole. Childcare costs $20,925 a year in Chittenden County for two children compared to the Vermont average of $18,306. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $19,536 per year in Chittenden County compared to $14,410 on average in Vermont.
The cost of living in Vermont is 7.7% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Vermont is $96,665 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Vermont household is $63,477.
The cheapest housing market in Vermont is Johnson. The average home value in Johnson is $0, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Vermont is $230,900, almost nan times higher than Johnson.
{“@context”: “https://schema.org”,”@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [{“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What county in Vermont has the lowest cost of living?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “
The county in Vermont with the lowest cost of living is Chittenden County. The average living wage in Chittenden County is $105,491 according to MIT data. Chittenden County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Vermont as a whole. Childcare costs $20,925 a year in Chittenden County for two children compared to the Vermont average of $18,306. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $19,536 per year in Chittenden County compared to $14,410 on average in Vermont.
“}}, {“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What is the cost of living in Vermont?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “
The cost of living in Vermont is 7.7% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Vermont is $96,665 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Vermont household is $63,477.
“}}, {“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What is the cheapest housing market in Vermont?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “
The cheapest housing market in Vermont is Johnson. The average home value in Johnson is $0, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Vermont is $230,900, almost nan times higher than Johnson.
“}}]}
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.
Vermont Affordabilility 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.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Vermont according to the data:
- Shelburne
- South Burlington
- Burlington
For more Vermont reading, check out:
- Best Places To Buy A House In Vermont
- Worst Places To Live In Vermont
- Most Dangerous Cities In Vermont
Cheapest Places To Live In Vermont
| 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 | $243,917 | $1,115 |
| 5 | Brattleboro | 7,657 | 105 | $52,734 | $314,812 | $1,113 |
| 6 | St. Albans | 6,954 | 106 | $57,980 | $361,248 | $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 |