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Burlington, VT

Census place 5010675 · pop 44,675

D58/ 100
😐 Meh
D−
in VT
📍 Vermont ranks #4 of 50 states →
🏆 Jobs2.0% · top 1%
🚽 Own41.5% · bottom 5%
💡 Did you know?

Vermont's largest city, birthplace of Ben & Jerry's and longtime home base of Bernie Sanders.

Source ↗
Taxes
1.65% property · US 0.99%6.39% sales · US 7.00%up to 8.75% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

Google Maps ↗Zillow ↗Wikipedia ↗

The breakdown — worst first

Homeownership41.5%5

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

41.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Poor mental health20.3%9

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

20.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Income inequality0.4915

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Poverty rate20.5%17

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

20.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Property-tax burden1.65%20

U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities

1.65% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Housing cost$444,80025

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$444,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Rent$2,048/mo32

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$2,048/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Median household income$71,10945

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$71,109 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Broadband access91.6%50

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

91.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Population growth (5yr)+5.0%63

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+5.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Uninsured adults6.9%77

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

6.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Air quality (AQI)County-level37 AQI81

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

37 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Commute time19 min83

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Adult smoking9.5%83

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

9.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Bachelor's degree or higher60.5%91

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

60.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level39/10093

U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities

39/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Physical inactivity15.5%95

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

15.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Adult obesity23.1%96

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

23.1% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Unemployment rateCounty-level2.0%100

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

2.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Not measured for Burlington: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Burlington, VT a good place to live?
By the numbers, Burlington scores 58/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unemployment rate and its weakest is homeownership. Vermont overall ranks #4 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Burlington, VT expensive to live in?
Burlington has a median home value of $444,800 and typical rent around $2,048/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Burlington, VT?
Its weakest measured area is homeownership (41.5%) — 5/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Burlington, VT best at?
Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.0%) — 100/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Vermont's largest city, birthplace of Ben & Jerry's and longtime home base of Bernie Sanders.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.