Most Americans have never been to small town Vermont. However, as the Vermonter who live there know, small town Vermont is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Vermont has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Green Mountain State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 33 of Vermont’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Vermont where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Vermont for 2025:
So what is the worst small town to call home in Vermont for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Enosburg Falls is the worst small town to live in Vermont.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Enosburg Falls home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Vermont or the worst places to live in Vermont.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Vermont For 2025
1. Enosburg Falls
/10
Population: 1,595
Median Home Value: $196,100
Median Income: $54,583
Unemployment Rate: 6.0%
2. Newport
/10
Population: 4,413
Median Home Value: $179,000
Median Income: $48,194
Unemployment Rate: 10.1%
3. Richford
/10
Population: 1,600
Median Home Value: $157,100
Median Income: $49,954
Unemployment Rate: 5.7%
4. Johnson
/10
Population: 1,668
Median Home Value: $1,000
Median Income: $48,355
Unemployment Rate: 13.9%
5. West Brattleboro
/10
Population: 2,614
Median Home Value: $249,200
Median Income: $39,555
Unemployment Rate: 5.7%
6. Fair Haven
/10
Population: 2,435
Median Home Value: $163,000
Median Income: $65,898
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%
7. Hardwick
/10
Population: 1,047
Median Home Value: $175,300
Median Income: $41,667
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%
8. Springfield
/10
Population: 3,882
Median Home Value: $138,400
Median Income: $44,375
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
9. Lyndonville
/10
Population: 1,229
Median Home Value: $290,000
Median Income: $43,693
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
10. Manchester Center
/10
Population: 1,935
Median Home Value: $330,300
Median Income: $88,786
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Vermont is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Vermont, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 33 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2025, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Vermont.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Vermont
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Green Mountain State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Vermont are Enosburg Falls, Newport, Richford, Johnson, West Brattleboro, Fair Haven, Hardwick, Springfield, Lyndonville, and Manchester Center.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Vermont, according to science:
- South Barre (Pop. 1,259)
- Norwich (Pop. 1,081)
- Jericho (Pop. 1,230)
For more Vermont reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Vermont
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enosburg Falls | 1,595 | 6.0% | $196,100 | $54,583 |
| 2 | Newport | 4,413 | 10.1% | $179,000 | $48,194 |
| 3 | Richford | 1,600 | 5.7% | $157,100 | $49,954 |
| 4 | Johnson | 1,668 | 13.9% | $1,000 | $48,355 |
| 5 | West Brattleboro | 2,614 | 5.7% | $249,200 | $39,555 |
| 6 | Fair Haven | 2,435 | 4.4% | $163,000 | $65,898 |
| 7 | Hardwick | 1,047 | 4.4% | $175,300 | $41,667 |
| 8 | Springfield | 3,882 | 3.6% | $138,400 | $44,375 |
| 9 | Lyndonville | 1,229 | 2.9% | $290,000 | $43,693 |
| 10 | Manchester Center | 1,935 | 3.2% | $330,300 | $88,786 |
| 11 | East Barre | 1,084 | 0.0% | $249,200 | $1,000 |
| 12 | West Rutland | 2,144 | 2.9% | $178,300 | $53,373 |
| 13 | Morrisville | 2,527 | 4.6% | $258,800 | $66,792 |
| 14 | Randolph | 1,946 | 4.6% | $225,800 | $59,203 |
| 15 | Poultney | 1,105 | 8.9% | $175,000 | $61,597 |
| 16 | Williamstown | 1,622 | 1.0% | $182,200 | $90,938 |
| 17 | Milton | 3,510 | 16.0% | $309,000 | $82,750 |
| 18 | Swanton | 2,732 | 6.0% | $210,000 | $71,307 |
| 19 | Arlington | 1,871 | 8.2% | $231,800 | $73,164 |
| 20 | White River Junction | 2,878 | 2.9% | $250,700 | $73,546 |
| 21 | North Bennington | 1,342 | 6.3% | $275,000 | $67,500 |
| 22 | Brandon | 1,892 | 0.0% | $218,800 | $54,138 |
| 23 | Windsor | 1,961 | 1.9% | $158,800 | $48,371 |
| 24 | Castleton | 1,058 | 7.9% | $276,800 | $1,000 |
| 25 | Bellows Falls | 2,851 | 2.9% | $176,000 | $54,836 |
| 26 | Bristol | 2,005 | 3.5% | $298,200 | $71,372 |
| 27 | Wilder | 3,394 | 6.1% | $241,000 | $69,063 |
| 28 | Bradford | 1,326 | 4.0% | $246,400 | $96,213 |
| 29 | Vergennes | 2,571 | 2.7% | $263,500 | $85,417 |
| 30 | Chester | 1,356 | 1.2% | $245,300 | $67,782 |
| 31 | South Barre | 1,259 | 0.0% | $246,900 | $78,162 |
| 32 | Norwich | 1,081 | 2.5% | $642,200 | $167,625 |
| 33 | Jericho | 1,230 | 0.0% | $397,800 | $94,063 |