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 2019-2023 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 2025.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Vermont For 2025
What’s the most expensive place to live in Vermont? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Shelburne is the most expensive place to live in Vermont.
St. Johnsbury (the cheapest place to live in Vermont) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Vermont and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Vermont For 2025
/10
Population: 6,292
Cost Of Living Index: 120
Median Income: $106,187
Average Home Price: $496,700
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.7x
More on Shelburne: Data
The overall cost of living in Shelburne is 120. The median income in Shelburne comes in at $106,187 and the average home value is $496,700 for 2025.
/10
Population: 44,649
Cost Of Living Index: 119
Median Income: $68,854
Average Home Price: $400,200
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.8x
More on Burlington: Data
The overall cost of living in Burlington is 119. The median income in Burlington comes in at $68,854 and the average home value is $400,200 for 2025.
/10
Population: 20,488
Cost Of Living Index: 118
Median Income: $97,229
Average Home Price: $399,600
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.1x
More on South Burlington: Data
The overall cost of living in South Burlington is 118. The median income in South Burlington comes in at $97,229 and the average home value is $399,600 for 2025.
/10
Population: 7,145
Cost Of Living Index: 114
Median Income: $74,900
Average Home Price: $388,100
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.2x
More on Middlebury: Data
The overall cost of living in Middlebury is 114. The median income in Middlebury comes in at $74,900 and the average home value is $388,100 for 2025.
/10
Population: 8,198
Cost Of Living Index: 113
Median Income: $77,020
Average Home Price: $350,700
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.6x
More on Winooski: Data
The overall cost of living in Winooski is 113. The median income in Winooski comes in at $77,020 and the average home value is $350,700 for 2025.
/10
Population: 8,038
Cost Of Living Index: 113
Median Income: $79,175
Average Home Price: $349,200
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.4x
More on Montpelier: Data
The overall cost of living in Montpelier is 113. The median income in Montpelier comes in at $79,175 and the average home value is $349,200 for 2025.
/10
Population: 7,793
Cost Of Living Index: 107
Median Income: $46,972
Average Home Price: $239,500
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.1x
More on Brattleboro: Data
The overall cost of living in Brattleboro is 107. The median income in Brattleboro comes in at $46,972 and the average home value is $239,500 for 2025.
/10
Population: 6,910
Cost Of Living Index: 104
Median Income: $53,370
Average Home Price: $245,600
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.6x
More on St. Albans: Data
The overall cost of living in St. Albans is 104. The median income in St. Albans comes in at $53,370 and the average home value is $245,600 for 2025.
/10
Population: 8,888
Cost Of Living Index: 102
Median Income: $53,839
Average Home Price: $185,100
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.4x
More on Bennington: Data
The overall cost of living in Bennington is 102. The median income in Bennington comes in at $53,839 and the average home value is $185,100 for 2025.
/10
Population: 15,747
Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $55,000
Average Home Price: $176,400
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.2x
More on Rutland: Data
The overall cost of living in Rutland is 101. The median income in Rutland comes in at $55,000 and the average home value is $176,400 for 2025.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Green Mountain State For 2025
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Vermont are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I 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 2019-2023 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 2025. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Vermont.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Vermont For 2025
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, Burlington, South Burlington, Middlebury, Winooski, Montpelier, Brattleboro, St. Albans, Bennington, and Rutland.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Vermont according to the data:
- St. Johnsbury
- Barre
- Rutland
For more Vermont reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Vermont
- Cheapest Places To Live In Vermont
- Most Dangerous Cities In Vermont
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Vermont
- Safest Places In Vermont
- Worst Places To Live In Vermont
Most Expensive Cities In Vermont
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelburne | 120 | 6,292 | $106,187 | $496,700 | 4.7x |
| 2 | Burlington | 119 | 44,649 | $68,854 | $400,200 | 5.8x |
| 3 | South Burlington | 118 | 20,488 | $97,229 | $399,600 | 4.1x |
| 4 | Middlebury | 114 | 7,145 | $74,900 | $388,100 | 5.2x |
| 5 | Winooski | 113 | 8,198 | $77,020 | $350,700 | 4.6x |
| 6 | Montpelier | 113 | 8,038 | $79,175 | $349,200 | 4.4x |
| 7 | Brattleboro | 107 | 7,793 | $46,972 | $239,500 | 5.1x |
| 8 | St. Albans | 104 | 6,910 | $53,370 | $245,600 | 4.6x |
| 9 | Bennington | 102 | 8,888 | $53,839 | $185,100 | 3.4x |
| 10 | Rutland | 101 | 15,747 | $55,000 | $176,400 | 3.2x |
| 11 | Barre | 101 | 8,461 | $53,288 | $200,100 | 3.8x |
| 12 | St. Johnsbury | 99 | 5,945 | $49,033 | $171,900 | 3.5x |