State
Vermont
Vermont has a quality-of-life score of 94 out of 100 (very high), ranking #4 of 51 US states. It ranks best on food insecurity (low), primary care shortage (low) and mental health care shortage (low). It ranks worst on child care cost burden (high), comfortable days (low) and effective property tax rate (high).
- Quality-of-life score
- #4 of 51 states
- Population
- 644,663 (2025)
- Land area
- 9,217 mi²
- Density
- 69.9 /mi²
- FIPS code
- 50
Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.
Scores by category
Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US states.
- Safety76#13/51
- Economy78#12/51
- Housing26#38/51
- Health72#15/51
- Healthcare94#4/51
- Environment94#4/49
- Education100#1/51
- Infrastructure68#17/51
- Community86#8/51
- Leisure & amenities96#3/51
Strengths · Weaknesses
Indicators where Vermont ranks highest and lowest among US states (score = percentile, 100 = best).
Strengths
- Food insecurity · low9.6%
- Primary care shortage · low0.7100/100United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationAggregated from counties
- Mental health care shortage · low0.0100/100United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationAggregated from counties
- Dental care shortage · low0.4100/100United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationAggregated from counties
- High school diploma or higher · high94.9%
- Public EV charging ports · high20.8 /10k
Weaknesses
- Child care cost burden · high50.1%
- Comfortable days · low21.6%2/100United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
- Effective property tax rate · high1.51%
- Depression · high27.8%
- Job growth · low-1.0%
- Distance to an emergency room · high8.1 mi
Trends
The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.
- Child care cost burdenWorsening
26.9% (2020 & 2021) → 50.1% (2023 & 2024)
+23 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
- Drinking water violationsWorsening
0 (2020) → 0 (2023)
+100%3 years
- Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
27.6% (Dec 2021) → 39.4% (Aug 2026)
+12 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
- Hot daysWorsening
1 days (2011-2020) → 2 days (2016-2025)
+53%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days
- Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.5% (2015-2019) → 89.7% (2020-2024)
+8.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
- Drug overdose deathsImproving
35.5 /100k (2021) → 21.2 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−40%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
What changed in five years
How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.
States like Vermont five years ago that improved
The places whose measures looked most like those of Vermont in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.
Who lives here
Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).
Income
How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.
Homes
Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.
Getting to work
How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.
Jobs and pay
What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.
Local businesses
Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.
Federal contract spending
Federal grants & assistance
Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.
Public money & outcomes
Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.
Representation in Congress
Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.
Counties of Vermont
All 14 counties, best quality-of-life score first.
Metro areas in Vermont
Metropolitan and micropolitan areas based in Vermont, largest first.
Largest cities and towns in Vermont
By population.
- Burlington44,675
- South Burlington20,756
- Rutland15,712
- Essex Junction10,803
- Bennington9,245
- Barre8,412
- Winooski8,293
- Montpelier8,014
- Brattleboro7,657
- Middlebury7,220
- St. Albans6,954
- Shelburne6,499
- St. Johnsbury5,859
- Newport4,394
- Springfield4,237
- Northfield3,766
- Milton3,555
- White River Junction3,364
- Wilder3,087
- Bellows Falls2,891
- West Brattleboro2,749
- Swanton2,670
- Morrisville2,664
- Vergennes2,565
Neighboring states
Places that share a border, best score first.
Similar states
Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).
- New Hampshire100Alike on Homicides, Median age, Students / teacher
- Maine72Alike on High school+, Comfortable days, Avg temperature
- Minnesota98Alike on Poverty, Child poverty, Food environment
- Wisconsin86Alike on New businesses, January low, Frost days
- Pennsylvania54Alike on Dry days, Broadband, New businesses
Data and sources
Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.
- Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
- Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
- Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
- Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
- Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
- Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-03
- Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
- Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
- U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
- Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
- nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
- Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
- Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
- Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
- American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
- Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
- Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
- Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
- Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
- Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
- Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
- Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
- County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
- Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08
