Before you decide to relocate to Vermont, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Vermont that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2020-2024 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 12 places in Vermont with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Vermont for 2026.
$109,583 median income · $689,015 median home · #1 home prices in Vermont
Shelburne is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Located along the shores of Lake Champlain, Shelburne is a suburb of Burlington, the largest city in the state of Vermont. Shelburne’s town center lies approximately 7 miles south of Burlington’s city’s center. The population of Shelburne was 7,144 at the 2010 census.
The main settlement of Shelburne in the center of town is a census-designated place, with a population of 592 at the 2010 census. The town is the wealthiest municipality in both Chittenden County and the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area.
$106,667 median income · $481,493 median home · #3 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Chittenden County, Vermont
South Burlington is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. It is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and home to the headquarters of Ben & Jerry’s and Vermont’s largest mall, the University Mall. It is also one in the principal municipalities of the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$71,109 median income · $506,784 median home · #2 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
$86,250 median income · $451,189 median home · #4 home prices in Vermont
Middlebury is the shire town of Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 8,496 at the 2010 census. Middlebury is home to Middlebury College and the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History.
$79,522 median income · $427,517 median home · #5 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Chittenden County, Vermont
Winooski is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Located on the Winooski River, as of the 2010 U.S. Census the municipal population was 7,267. The city is the most densely populated municipality in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is the smallest in area of Vermont’s nine incorporated cities. As part of the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area, it is bordered by Burlington, Colchester, and South Burlington.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$81,030 median income · $414,351 median home · #6 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Washington County, Vermont
Montpelier is the capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Washington County. As the site of Vermont’s state government, it is the least populous state capital in the United States. The population was 7,855 at the 2010 census. However, the daytime population swells to about 21,000, due to the large number of jobs within city limits. The Vermont College of Fine Arts and New England Culinary Institute are located in the municipality. It was named for Montpellier, France.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$57,980 median income · $361,249 median home · #7 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Franklin County, Vermont
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$52,734 median income · $314,813 median home · #8 home prices in Vermont
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont’s eastern border, Brattleboro is located about 10 miles north of the Massachusetts state line, at the confluence of Vermont’s West River and the Connecticut. In 2014, Brattleboro’s population was estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau to be 11,765.
$54,257 median income · $243,918 median home · #11 home prices in Vermont
Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, in the United States. It is one of two shire towns of the county, the other being Manchester. The population is 15,431, as of 2014 US Census estimates. Bennington is the most populous town in southern Vermont, the third-largest town in Vermont and the sixth-largest municipality in the state including the cities of Burlington, Rutland, and South Burlington in the count.
$57,675 median income · $276,480 median home · #10 home prices in Vermont
Located in
Rutland County, Vermont
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
Mapping the most expensive places in Vermont
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Green Mountain State For 2026
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Vermont are how much money you make and how much you have to spend to live there.
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Vermont to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 12 places in Vermont that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Vermont according to the data is Shelburne. We updated this article for 2026. This article is our eleventh time ranking the most expensive places to live in Vermont.
The full plate
Most Expensive Cities In Vermont
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelburne | 131 | 6,499 | $109,583 | $689,015 | 6.3x |
| 2 | South Burlington | 122 | 20,756 | $106,667 | $481,493 | 4.5x |
| 3 | Burlington | 121 | 44,675 | $71,109 | $506,784 | 7.1x |
| 4 | Middlebury | 120 | 7,220 | $86,250 | $451,189 | 5.2x |
| 5 | Winooski | 111 | 8,293 | $79,522 | $427,517 | 5.4x |
| 6 | Montpelier | 111 | 8,014 | $81,030 | $414,351 | 5.1x |
| 7 | St. Albans | 106 | 6,954 | $57,980 | $361,249 | 6.2x |
| 8 | Brattleboro | 105 | 7,657 | $52,734 | $314,813 | 6.0x |
| 9 | Bennington | 103 | 9,245 | $54,257 | $243,918 | 4.5x |
| 10 | Rutland | 99 | 15,712 | $57,675 | $276,480 | 4.8x |
| 11 | Barre | 98 | 8,412 | $65,625 | $300,280 | 4.6x |
| 12 | St. Johnsbury | 95 | 5,859 | $53,711 | $217,181 | 4.0x |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 12 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Vermont For 2026
Well, there you have it, the places in Vermont that have the highest cost of living, with Shelburne ranking as the most expensive city in the Green Mountain State.
The most expensive cities in Vermont are Shelburne, South Burlington, Burlington, Middlebury, Winooski, Montpelier, St. Albans, Brattleboro, Bennington, and Rutland.
