Cost of Living in Burlington
Burlington's cost-of-living picture runs genuinely, honestly ABOVE the national average across every citation reviewed this pass -- a real, disclosed cross-source range of 17%-33% above the U.S. average, driven primarily by housing, transportation, and food costs, with one real, genuine exception: homeowners insurance runs below the national comparison figure.
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Learn moreA Genuinely Above-National Cost-of-Living Figure, With a Real, Disclosed Cross-Source Spread
As detailed in the base record's economy metrics, cost-of-living citations put Burlington 17%-33% above the national average depending on source, with one specific citation putting Burlington's cost-of-living index at 117 (national average = 100). This record discloses the full range directly rather than picking whichever figure is most convenient.
Genuinely Expensive Rent and Home Values
As detailed on the renting and housing-market topic pages, RentCafe cited Burlington's average rent across all apartment types at approximately $2,641/month (approximately 39% above RentCafe's own cited national average), and Zillow's cited average home value (~$519,611) ran approximately 27% above this project's ~$408,776 national median sale price comparison figure.
A Genuinely High State Income Tax and Property Tax
As detailed on the taxes topic page, Vermont's graduated state income tax tops out at 8.75%, and Burlington's own cited effective property tax rate (~2.11%) runs above both the Vermont statewide median and this project's national comparison figure.
The Real Exception: Homeowners Insurance Runs Below the National Comparison Figure
Despite Burlington's otherwise high cost profile, the most directly comparable homeowners-insurance citation (~$1,132 for $300K dwelling coverage) ran approximately 60% BELOW this project's national comparison figure -- a real, genuine exception this record does not omit.
Key takeaways
- Burlington's cost of living runs 17%-33% above the national average across the citations reviewed this pass -- a real, disclosed cross-source range.
- Average rent (~$2,641/month) and average home value (~$519,611) both run genuinely, substantially above this project's national comparison figures.
- Vermont's graduated state income tax tops out at 8.75%, and Burlington's property tax rate runs above both state and national comparison figures.
- Homeowners insurance is a real, genuine exception: it runs meaningfully below the national comparison figure despite Burlington's otherwise high-cost profile.
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