Cost of Living in Vermont
What it costs to live in Vermont, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 648,493
- Median household income
- $82,730
- State income tax
- Up to 8.8%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 98.0
What a typical paycheck keeps in Vermont
The typical Vermont worker earns $56,390 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $10,321 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $56,390
- Federal income tax
- −$4,587
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,314
- State income tax
- −$1,455
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$17,172
- Everyday costs
- −$18,541
a year, or $860 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Vermont.
Cost of living in Vermont
Prices across Vermont run 2% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing13% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% below the US average
- Utilities26% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)2% above the US average
- All items2% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,431 | $17,172 |
| Food | $480 | $5,760 |
| Transportation | $380 | $4,560 |
| Healthcare | $358 | $4,296 |
| Utilities | $328 | $3,936 |
| Total before taxes | $2,977 | $35,724 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Vermont taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 3.4% |
| $49,400 | 6.6% |
| $119,700 | 7.6% |
| $249,700 | 8.8% |
Bracket widths and deductions are the 2025 inflation-adjusted amounts.
Taxes on the median household income
$82,730 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$9,371 |
| Payroll taxes | −$6,329 |
| State income tax | −$3,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 22.6% |
Cities in Vermont
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Vermont city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Vermont
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $204,960 | $105,077 |
| Physician assistant | $150,490 | $70,762 |
| Pharmacist | $136,270 | $62,123 |
| Nurse practitioner | $134,740 | $61,193 |
| Veterinarian | $131,820 | $59,412 |
| Lawyer | $127,310 | $56,628 |
| Data scientist | $127,070 | $56,479 |
| Software engineer | $125,280 | $55,374 |
| Lineman | $108,520 | $44,759 |
| Mechanical engineer | $107,330 | $43,999 |
| Financial analyst | $99,090 | $38,747 |
| Physical therapist | $97,970 | $38,033 |
| Dental hygienist | $97,470 | $37,715 |
| Registered nurse | $97,460 | $37,708 |
| Civil engineer | $95,600 | $36,523 |
Salary pages in Vermont, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Vermont
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138,460 |
| Financial Managers | $128,690 |
| Lawyers | $127,310 |
| Managers, All Other | $125,440 |
| Software Developers | $125,280 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $111,530 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $107,500 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $105,350 |
| General and Operations Managers | $98,640 |
| Registered Nurses | $97,460 |
| Compliance Officers | $90,420 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $82,490 |
| Project Management Specialists | $80,800 |
| Social and Community Service Managers | $80,760 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,890 |
Living in Vermont
Vermont against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Vermont | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $352,800 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,319 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 9% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 45.1% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 23.9 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 16% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Vermont with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Vermont?
Prices in Vermont are 2% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,431 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,545 a month.
Does Vermont have a state income tax?
Yes. Vermont's income tax rate is up to 8.8%. On a typical wage of $56,390, a single filer pays about $1,455 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Vermont?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $43,000 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Vermont earns $56,390 and keeps $10,321 after those costs.
Where in Vermont does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Vermont cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Burlington ($7,604 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in South Burlington ($7,388).
What jobs pay the most in Vermont?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Vermont goes to Computer and Information Systems Managers ($138,460); Financial Managers ($128,690); Lawyers ($127,310) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate