Cost of living in Montpelier 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 Montpelier 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 Montpelier is 117, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Montpelier is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Montpelier ranks as the #8 cheapest in Vermont out of 12.
Montpelier ranks as the #4,212 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Montpelier is $420,747.
The median income in Montpelier is $79,175.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Montpelier has an overall cost of living index of 117, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Vermont, Montpelier has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Vermont's index of 111.
The standard of living in Montpelier ranks as #8 most affordable out of the 12 places we measured in Vermont. By definition, that implies Montpelier ranks as the #4 most expensive place in the Green Mountain State.
For more reading on life in Montpelier, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Montpelier. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Montpelier is 109.
The Groceries index in Montpelier is 104.
The Health index in Montpelier is 107.
The Housing index in Montpelier is 131.
The Transportation index in Montpelier is 107.
The Utilities index in Montpelier is 123.
| Living Expense | Montpelier | Vermont | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 117 | 111 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 106 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 104 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 107 | 107 | 100 | |
| Housing | 131 | 113 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 108 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 123 | 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 Montpelier is $420,747.
The Median Rent in Montpelier is $1,169.
The Median Income in Montpelier is $79,175.
The Home Value To Income in Montpelier is 5.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Montpelier is 0.18x.
| Statistic | Montpelier | Vermont | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $420,747 | $400,246 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,169 | $1,193 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $79,175 | $78,024 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.3x | 5.1x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Montpelier | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.23 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.94 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $15.67 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.98 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $46.44 | $45.56 |
| Item | Montpelier | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.76 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.72 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.82 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.97 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.05 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.01 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.73 | $3.7 |
| Item | Montpelier | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $141.67 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $152.78 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $130.83 | $113.29 |
| Item | Montpelier | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.59 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $68.6 | $59.92 |
| Item | Montpelier | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $262.67 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.03 | $192.25 |