Living in St. Albans, VT

Franklin County

St. Albans is a real, current northwestern Vermont city in Franklin County, a short drive from the Canadian border and fronting Lake Champlain via St. Albans Bay. St. Albans' population runs a real, modestly growing trend (World Population Review's 2026 estimate cited 6,979, up approximately 2.15% since 2020). St. Albans carries a real, genuine dual historic identity -- 'Rail City' (home to the Central Vermont Railway's headquarters from 1855) and the historic 'Dairy Capital of Vermont' -- alongside a real, current regional-hub role for Franklin County, hosting Northwestern Medical Center and substantial employers including Ben & Jerry's manufacturing plant, Viatris/Mylan Technologies, A.N. Deringer, and federal/state government offices including U.S. Customs and Border Protection. St. Albans' property taxes run genuinely low (Ownwell's cited ~0.51% effective rate, well below the national and Vermont statewide figures), even as Vermont's state income tax runs genuinely high. This record discloses St. Albans' crime picture honestly and directly: NeighborhoodScout cited an overall crime rate of approximately 135 per 1,000 residents -- among the highest in the nation and cited as the highest rate among Vermont's own communities. St. Albans sits near a real, current Lake Champlain flood risk -- the lake reached a record-shattering crest in spring 2024.

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Housing

Median sale price$422,000

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate0.51%

Not independently sourced at the Franklin County level this session. Vermont's top state income tax rate is 8.75%. See the Vermont hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as St. Albans-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

A real, current regional hub for Franklin County with a diversified employer base (Ben & Jerry's, Viatris/Mylan Technologies, A.N. Deringer, Northwestern Medical Center, federal/state government), genuinely low property taxes (~0.51% effective rate per Ownwell), Lake Champlain access, and a real, genuine dual railroad/dairy historic identity.

Cons

Crime data runs genuinely, disclosed EXTREME -- NeighborhoodScout cited an overall rate among the highest in the nation and the highest among Vermont's own communities reviewed. Vermont's state income tax runs genuinely high, homeowners insurance was cited as the most expensive among Vermont's largest cities, and Lake Champlain carries a real, current, record-setting flood risk.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits movers prioritizing genuine affordability via low property taxes, Lake Champlain access and outdoor recreation, and Franklin County's real regional-hub employment base, including cross-border-trade-adjacent roles given St. Albans' proximity to Canada.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers who prioritize a low crime rate above other factors -- St. Albans' own cited crime data runs genuinely, disclosed extreme -- or for those seeking to avoid Vermont's genuinely high state income tax, elevated homeowners-insurance costs, or Lake Champlain's real, current flood risk.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.