Cost of Living & Housing in Wilmington
Wilmington's cost of living centers on genuinely high housing costs relative to both national and Vermont statewide figures, tied directly to its real Mount Snow-gateway tourism and second-home economy.
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Learn moreA genuinely expensive housing market, with a real, disclosed cross-source spread
Wilmington's own cited median SALE price ($490,000, Redfin, trailing 12 months, up 6% year-over-year) runs well above the ~$408,776 national median and the ~$423,674 Vermont statewide median -- though a separate, materially lower assessed-VALUE figure ($213,390, Ownwell) exists, a real, disclosed cross-source spread this record does not force to one number, plausibly reflecting Wilmington's genuine second-home-market sale-price premium (base record).
A high local property tax rate
Wilmington's own effective property tax rate (2.23%, per Ownwell) runs well above both the ~1.02% national median and Vermont's own ~1.51% Tax Foundation statewide anchor -- and even modestly above Windham County's own broader 2.16% average, producing a median annual tax bill around $4,620 on Wilmington's own $213,390 median home value (base record).
Vermont's 8.75% top income tax rate and a distinct 9% meals-and-rooms tax
Vermont's real, current graduated income tax tops out at an 8.75% marginal rate, among the higher top rates in the country, and applies in Wilmington as it does statewide -- alongside a combined 6.00%-7.00% general sales tax and a separate, meaningfully higher 9% tax on prepared meals and lodging, directly relevant to Wilmington's real tourism/hospitality-heavy local economy (base record).
Homes take longer to sell, and older estimates run lower still
Homes in Wilmington sell after approximately 105 days on market, versus a 56-day national average, and a separate 2024 estimate cited an even lower median value ($332,914) than either figure above -- confirm current, specific listings directly given this real, disclosed spread (base record).
Key takeaways
- Wilmington's median home sale price ($490,000) runs well above national and Vermont statewide medians, though a lower assessed-value figure ($213,390) is also cited -- a real, disclosed cross-source spread.
- Wilmington's own 2.23% property tax rate runs above both national and Vermont statewide figures, and above Windham County's own average.
- Vermont's 8.75% top marginal income tax rate and a distinct 9% meals-and-rooms tax both apply in Wilmington as they do statewide.
- Homes in Wilmington take genuinely longer to sell than the national average -- confirm current listings directly.
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