If you’re reading this, you’re most likely from Vermont. Or a nosy New Hampshire neighbor. You’re probably thinking, “Worst place to live in Vermont? Is there such as thing?”
While Vermont might be one of the most charming and beautiful states, and ranking the worst places to live might there sound like pure nonsense, the fact remains that there are simply `better’ and `worse’ places to live anywhere in the country. Including Vermont.
Is it all a bed of roses in the Green Mountain State? Of course not. Just like every other state, Vermont has its least desirable spots. The purpose of this post is to use science and data to determine which cities are the worst you could possibly live in if you make Vermont your home .
After analyzing 21 of the state’s most populous cities (over 1,100 people), we came up with this list as the 10 worst places to live in Vermont:
- Johnson
- Morrisville
- Newport
- Enosburg Falls
- Bellows Falls
- St. Albans (Photos)
- Barre (Photos)
- North Bennington
- Winooski (Photos)
- Swanton
What? Where are these places you wonder? And before you get all riled up and say we’re picking on small town America, that’s not the case. We understand there’s a lot of good in every place.
However, according to data (which doesn’t measure things like beauty and ‘friendly people’), there are far better options in the state for making a place home. Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and see how your city fared in 2018.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
How we determined the worst places to live in Vermont for 2018
To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.
We don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that people like the following things:
- Good education
- Lots of jobs
- Low crime
- Low poverty
- Nice homes
- High incomes
- High population density (Lots of things to do)
- Short work commutes
- Health insurance
The data comes from the Census’s most recent American Community Survey and from the FBI Uniform Crime Report.
We broke crime down into violent crime and property crime to give violent crime a larger weight — if you did a simple calculation of all crimes per capita, property crimes are normally 7x more common and really bias that ranking.
Furthermore, only cities with at least 1,100 people were considered — leaving 21 cities.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 21 for all the criteria with a #1 ranking being the worst for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the rankings into one “Worst Place To Live Score”.
Finally, we ranked every city on the “Worst Place To Live Score” with the lowest score being the worst city in Vermont — Johnson. Read on for a detailed look at the 10 worst cities in Vermont.
This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.
1. Johnson
Population: 1,424Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Home Values: $155,400 (6th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.0% (1st worst)
Johnson seems to be the have’s and have not’s. While the annual average income levels here are respectful ($32,868), about 1 in 12.5 people here are without jobs. Homes are valued at only $155,400.
But the biggest eye opener is the sheer crime here. It seems as if just about everyone in town without a job is pillaging the community. Johnson has the 2nd highest crime rate in Vermont, where 1 in 108 people has a statistic chance of being attacked, raped or murdered each year.
Plus, 1 in 5.5 people are robbed.
If you’re headed past Johnson and stop for gas, make sure you lock your doors.
2. Morrisville
Population: 2,270Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Home Values: $180,500 (11th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (13th worst)
Tthe small town of Morrisville has the 6th lowest income levels in the entire state. At $37,939, many of the people are having trouble making ends meet, and the unemployment rate is 5.1%. Additionally, 1630.0% of the population lives below the poverty line.
The cost of a home here is bottom barrell at $180,500.
At least the crime is very minimal here.
3. Newport
Population: 4,426Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Home Values: $130,000 (3rd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 7.9% (2nd worst)
Newport actually has the highest unemployment rate in Vermont at 5.8%, which is a little lower than the national average.
The residents here are most likely pretty broke, as the average household income is $32,000. That’s only $7,000 more than the poverty level for a family of four. Homes are the 6th cheapest in the state ($137,000), and Newport has the 9th highest crime rate in Vermont, where residents have a 1 in 142 chance of being robbed.
While that’s high in Vermont, that’s actually really, really low in comparison to the rest of the country. Usually, cities with the 9th highest crime rates have a 1 in 20 chance of being robbed.
4. Enosburg Falls
Population: 1,310 Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Home Values: $170,700 (8th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 1.7% (21st worst)
This may or may not be a surprise to you, but Enosburg Falls is the 8th most dangerous city in Vermont. For such a small city, there are an astounding number of property crimes. Residents here have a 1 in 15.3 chance of being the victim of some sort of robbery when within city limits every year. That’s lots of stolen cell phones, guns, snowmobiles and lobster traps.
Besides the crime, there are a few other factors why Enosburg Falls might be one of the worst places to live. The home values here are pretty cheap. Why is that not a good thing? Because the salaries of people working in Enosburg Falls are really low. People here earn about $39,500 a year per household.
Additionally, the public schools in Enosburg Falls are some of the lowest funded in the state.
When all is said and done, you could find much more desirable places to live in Vermont than in Enosburg Falls.
5. Bellows Falls
Population: 3,032Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Home Values: $128,300 (2nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7% (9th worst)
Bellows Falls ranks as the 5th worst place to live in Vermont for 2015.
The issues Bellows Falls has is with its local economy. The unemployment rate is the 10th highest in Vermont (5.7%), and as you might expect, the household salaries and home prices are both towards the bottom of Vermont.
6. St. Albans
Population: 6,858Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 3)
Home Values: $173,100 (9th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.8% (7th worst)
We’re pretty sure Vermont residents value a good education. In terms of outright public education, the kids in St. Albans get the least amount of spending, per student, than those in the rest of the state. It’s still higher than the national average.
The student-teacher ratio is above average, however.
Crime is the 7th highest in the state, and homes are the 10th cheapest.
St. Albans is near Lake Champlain. That must be beautiful most of the year. But again, science doesn’t measure beauty. It measures facts, and the fact is St. Albans has some of the lowest stats in the state when it comes to desirability based on what people say they want.
7. Barre
Population: 8,831Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 5)
Home Values: $151,100 (5th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.9% (5th worst)
Many of the people who work in Montpelier live in Barre. Crime is the 5th highest in Vermont here, where residents have a 1 in 48 chance of being the victim of a property crime, which is actually pretty consistent with a ‘bad’ town in another state.
That means you have to lock your doors at night here.
However, there were only two violent crimes here in 2015, according to the FBI. That’s amazingly low.
Barre also has the 8th lowest home values and a below average publicly funded education system.
8. North Bennington
Population: 1,688 Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Home Values: $185,900 (12th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (14th worst)
Welcome to North Bennington, where criminals go to make a living. North Bennington has the 3rd highest crime rate in the state. When you’re within North Bennington city limits, you have a 1 in 10.0 chance of being the victim of a property crime such as a car break in or home invasion robbery every year.
Plus, there were 15 violent crimes here in 2015. For a city of 1,688 people, that’s absolutely off the charts high. You have a 1 in 111 chance of being raped, attacked or killed when you’re in North Bennington every year as well.
9. Winooski
Population: 7,209Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Home Values: $223,700 (14th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.2% (8th worst)
Winooski is also a pretty crummy place to live, when you look at the numbers. Yes, we’re aware that it’s beautiful and “fun”. But that ignores important things like jobs and income.
Winooski residents earn the 13th-lowest salaries in the state. At $49,596 a year, people here most likely have a hard time getting ahead in life. And the average home costs are $223,700, which means there isn’t a lot of demand.
Crime is the 15th highest in Vermont per capita, and the unemployment rate here is 8th highest in the state, at 6.2%.
10. Swanton
Population: 2,712Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 4)
Home Values: $176,000 (10th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (18th worst)
You can’t blame them for living in Swanton since it’s really beautiful, but there are sacrifices you make to live in the boonies. One of them is income.
Not only is the unemployment rate the 18th highest in the state here (3.6%), the residents in Swanton earn the smallest household income in the state of Vermont. At a combined income of $41,330, families of four are barely above the poverty line.
In addition, the crime here is really high for a small city in Vermont. Swanton has the 8th highest crime rate in the state.
Wrapping Up The Worst In Vermont
If you’re looking at areas in Vermont with the worst economic situations, where there’s higher than average crime, and not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
And in the end, Johnson ranks as the worst city to live in Vermont for 2018.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best cities to live in Vermont:
- South Burlington (Pop. 18,704)
- Woodstock (Pop. 1,054)
- Essex Junction (Pop. 9,922)
For more Vermont reading , check out:
- These Are The 10 Drunkest Cities In Vermont – RoadSnacks
- If You’re From Vermont This Will Be The Most Jaw-Dropping Thing You See All Day. Guaranteed.
- These Are The 10 Worst Places To Live In Vermont – RoadSnacks
Detailed List Of The Worst Cities In Vermont
| City | Rank | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson | 1 | 1 |
| Morrisville | 2 | 2 |
| Newport | 3 | 4 |
| Enosburg Falls | 4 | 5 |
| Bellows Falls | 5 | 7 |
| St. Albans | 6 | 9 |
| Barre | 7 | 12 |
| North Bennington | 8 | 8 |
| Winooski | 9 | 10 |
| Swanton | 10 | 6 |
| Lyndonville | 11 | 3 |
| Burlington | 12 | 16 |
| Poultney | 13 | 11 |
| Waterbury | 14 | 18 |
| Rutland | 15 | 14 |
| Vergennes | 16 | 13 |
| Jericho | 17 | 15 |
| Montpelier | 18 | 17 |
| Essex Junction | 19 | 19 |
| Woodstock | 20 | 20 |
| South Burlington | 21 | 21 |
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In the time it takes to drive from Charlotte to Burlington (since NOTHING happens in Charlotte), someone in Bennington could be in Albany, NY. I’m also not sure why low home prices is a negative thing – they’re actually affordable, unlike that top list. Also, anyone who calls these towns cities, is clearly not from around here.
The reason some places didn’t make the list was probably population, they said they had a baseline number. Another reason some beautiful places didn’t make the list is because beauty was not a factor only science and numbers. As far as the article itself if the people writing it went to any of the underfunded schools, there’s your answer. They said at the beginning of the article that it was for entertainment and not to get bent.
My good friend, I’m proud to say my home town of Highgate is in the TOP 50 best cites to live in in Vermont. Highgate is 30 minutes to downtown Burlington and 45 minutes (depending on border time) to downtown Montreal. Not a lot of places in Vermont or New England can boast that. Too bad your science didn’t include proximity to Major Cities, throw that into the ol’ processor as see what happens. Fun read never the less.
I am surprised that Burlington wasn’t on the top 10 worse places in Vermont list there is so much criminal activity that goes on there and I just don’t feel that you are looking deep enough I mean come on get a clue the drug Population is ridiculous the heroin epidemic is over the charts and crimes there are higher than what’s being told I’m just Saying that it could be alot worse then saint albans so I do believe you should do your science and Day again before you put places that aren’t really that bad
TRY LIVING IN MASS, CONN, NY, I LIVED IN VERMONT FOR 8 YRS AND STILL REMEMBER IT AS THE MOST WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE , MAYBE ITS COLD , BUT TO SEE DARK AND DINGEY GHETTOS SPREAD ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES , VERMONT IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE ,
I agree! I keep seeing the comments about all the VT crime and I have to laugh.
I just visited my son and brother in Perkinsville, VT and fell in love with this state. I thought Woodstock was a quaint little town with extremely friendly people. I’ve lived in Maine, Mass and New Hampshire but never visited Vermont up until now and I’m so happy I did. I currently live in Florida and plan to make my way to Vermont within a year. I’ll be renting an apartment once there, any towns you recommend just outside of perkinsville for decent pricing?
Where does West Rutland Rank?
Why all the flatlander hate? Aren’t people in VT supposed to be nice?
I lived in bennington for 25 years and can honestly say I would never move back, high rent, low paying jobs, not a place to raise a family, little to nothing to do.but if ya like winter and freezing for seven months out of the year have at it.
So, Bennington is the 12th most dangerous town in the state which ranks second out of fifty for lowest crime. It’s obvious! Stay away from Bennington! You’re in danger there!
Vermont is a shithole. The people are unwelcoming, insular assholes. Can’t wait to get the hell out of here. Relocating here from the mid-atlantic for a job opportunity was one of the worst mistakes of my life.
Your right Mel… GOOD BYE
Totally agree with Barre. It’s a shithole all on it’s own with people with some sort of street/gang mentality. Thinking they’re tough shits walking the streets, probably haven’t walked a street in NY their whole life so they gotta settle doing it somewhere in VT. Half the neighborhoods are dumps that charge over $700+ to live in because it has had a history of abusers/druggies live in it.
The road crew at most times are incredibly neglectful of roads in Barre, considering that some of them possess some of the worst of the potholes that makes you swerve and swerve to avoid them. Cracks and creases left in the roads for all to run into and auto garages are probably making fortunes from people with banged up suspensions and tires from these roads.
The people in the populace mostly consist of pot smokers, druggies, alcoholics, bitter elders and young couples that look like a domestic abuse report is waiting to happen. We have over 20 churches/religious communities scattered across town, all devoted to the same religion. It’s kinda funny too because not far from them are the bars because where else can you go and who would listen to you recount a thousand mistakes at once?
Barre does deserve to be higher but just knowing it’s acknowledged as a shit place on a list at all is good enough. It’s got no future.
To say that Burlington isn’t one of the best places to live in Vermont is pretty funny. Sure the rent is high downtown, but head in any direction from 20 min and that changes quickly. Yes there has been an increase in crime, drug addiction and violence- over the last 5 year especially. But I would say it has increased at rate seemingly relative to the growth of Burlington itself.
Burlington has been nationally touted as one of the best cities to raise a family.. in the country. It is also the epicenter of social interaction and cultural expression, which is a pretty rare thing in Vermont. And it’s a city that runs entirely on renewable energy to boot.
I’m was born in New Haven Ct, then moved to Montgomery Vermont as a young child and grew up there, and now Burlington… I love it and there is new stuff being built everywhere you look.
VT is the worst state in the usa. Cold, cloudy, rains all the time then snows. High taxes, high living expenses, no services. It totally blows. Roads suck and 55 percent are dirt. Cheap state as 1/3 of the scum are on welfare and pills. Those who work pick up the tab. If you’re a far left libby and thinks sanders is great then VT is for you. It’s the type of place you have to be born and raised in and most of those people have moved out. Lolo lol VT sucks and the people blow.
I cant tell if you are high or just blind…Sure yes in the winter time Vermont can get VERY cold but its the same in most of the east coast its gonna rain a lot its gonna get cold after summer. It ain’t California where no snow or rain ever happens. I wouldn’t say its the best place for people but to say “VT sucks” And is the worst in the usa is wrong on so many levels.
There’s an error in the Rutland section, it talks about Barre:
Rutland is in the middle of nowhere where Routes 7 and 4 meet. Sure, it’s a fairly-sized city, but its isolation means for some long drives to anything beyond the norm.
But the bigger reason Barre makes it on this list is the high unemployment rate (4.1%) and low household incomes ($39,000). The fact is, there are far more other areas in which people who are attempting to grow their careers can live.
Plus, the crime is far higher than in other places.
My husband and I have settled on Bennington as the place we want to retire. It’s charming and affordable. We love Burlington, but the cost of real estate there is too high. Also, generally speaking, Vermont is beautiful everywhere you look.
Bad roads? C”mon down to South Carolina. While Vermont roads might be rough here and there, generally, they are good. Here, tjey ate dangerously bad and usually have no shoulders. As for crime, I have to laugh. Y’all seem to be comparing Bennington’s crime rate to some abstract ideal. Where we currently live in Upstate South Carolina, the crime is horrific and deadly and frequent. Shootings, child rapes, robberies, home invasions and every kind of abuse you can and cannot imagine. One woman hung her son’s still-living dog over a fire because it chewed on her Bible. A while back, some guy in Traveler’s Rest raped a 3-month old baby. She died as a result. And surely you’ve heard of Susan Smith. She drowned her children by running her car into a lake and leaving them to drown. That happened right here. We had a serial killer who shot and killed three people for giving him lip. A few years later, he killed more people, and as you may have heard, he kept a young woman locked in an empty semi trailer for months before he was finally, recently, caught. This is everyday stuff, here. I’m not kidding. Look at the local news on WYFN 4 for a few days. And terrible car accidents are routine. As of late July, South Carolina already had toted up 530 traffic fatalties this year.
Count your blessings, Vermont.
I lived in Vermont for many years actually born in Bristol,Vt at my grandparents house. I currently live in Augusta GA. The crime rate in Vermont is no different now than what it was when I was growing up in the late 80-90s. Perhaps it was people were not so quick to report to the police and handled things a bit differently than they do now. I know that when I was wandering around town with the”gang” just some kids from school we were starting to get harassed by officers for just being kids and horsing around. I believe that is why in doubt that the drug rate has increased and the violence and just about everything else has. Everyone is different and well they way I look at it Vermont you are being an enabler. Since I have been in Georgia now going on 4 years, I am completely sober, I have become a successful business owner and am raising a little boy who is able to be just that a little boy. Thanks to the Lord and not being judged by my community I have overcome addiction, mindful that no rehab center down here did I attend. If maybe you would open your mind about situations and ways to blossom your community then you might get a better community. All I am saying is that where there’s a will there’s a way. I have come from the armpit of Vermont, been the addict and the homeless panhandler, everyone of these towns I’ve been through. Work together and don’t be so judgemental, maybe you could have a better place to call home. Vermont is very beautiful it’s the people that make it so ugly. Thanks for letting me rant. Be blessed