Pros and Cons of Living in Hardwick
Hardwick's core trade-off pairs a real, nationally documented food-economy identity and genuine housing affordability against a real, disclosed high property tax burden and a severe, recent flood history.
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Learn morePro: a real, nationally documented food-economy identity
Hardwick's local-food revival is genuine, current, and chronicled well beyond Vermont itself -- a real, distinctive draw unlike most small Vermont towns.
Pro: genuine housing affordability
Hardwick's cited $220,485 average home value runs far below Vermont's own $400,274-$423,674 statewide range -- a real, disclosed advantage.
Con: a dramatically above-average property tax rate
Hardwick's own 3.38% effective property tax rate runs more than double Vermont's own 1.51% statewide anchor -- a real, substantial cost to budget for.
Con: a real, severe, and recent flood history
Hardwick was severely hit by the July 2023 Great Vermont Flood, with at least one documented case of flood risk outside mapped flood zones -- a real, disclosed factor for movers to weigh.
Key takeaways
- Pro: a real, nationally documented local-food-economy identity.
- Pro: genuine housing affordability relative to Vermont's statewide range.
- Con: a dramatically above-average property tax rate (3.38% vs. Vermont's own 1.51% anchor).
- Con: a real, severe, and recent flood history (July 2023), including risk outside mapped zones.
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