Cost of living in Barre research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Barre is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Vermont, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Barre is 102, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Barre is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Barre ranks as the #4 cheapest in Vermont out of 12.
Barre ranks as the #2,846 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Barre is $306,166.
The median income in Barre is $53,288.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Barre has an overall cost of living index of 102, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Vermont, Barre has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Vermont's index of 111.
The standard of living in Barre ranks as #4 most affordable out of the 12 places we measured in Vermont. By definition, that implies Barre ranks as the #8 most expensive place in the Green Mountain State.
For more reading on life in Barre, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Barre. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Barre is 107.
The Groceries index in Barre is 106.
The Health index in Barre is 108.
The Housing index in Barre is 79.
The Transportation index in Barre is 107.
The Utilities index in Barre is 119.
| Living Expense | Barre | Vermont | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 102 | 111 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 106 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 106 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 108 | 107 | 100 | |
| Housing | 79 | 113 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 108 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 119 | 121 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Vermont, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Barre is $306,166.
The Median Rent in Barre is $986.
The Median Income in Barre is $53,288.
The Home Value To Income in Barre is 5.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Barre is 0.22x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Barre. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
South Burlington, VT has a cost of living index of 125, 1.2x Barre.
Hanover, NH has a cost of living index of 155, 1.5x Barre.
Montpelier, VT has a cost of living index of 117, 1.1x Barre.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Barre |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Burlington, VT | 20,488 | 125 | 1.2x |
| Hanover, NH | 8,520 | 155 | 1.5x |
| Montpelier, VT | 8,038 | 117 | 1.1x |
| Shelburne, VT | 6,292 | 133 | 1.3x |