Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of Vermont, you would:
Health
be 58.8% more likely to have diabetes
In Vermont, 6.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
make 48.8% more money
Vermont has a GDP per capita of $56,462 as of 2024, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.
be 96.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Vermont, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 18.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vermont, 9.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In California, however, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.4 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Vermont has a violent crime rate of 211 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 27.8% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Vermont has a property crime rate of 1,802 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 23.5% more money
The median household income in Vermont is $78,024 as of 2023, while in California, it is $96,334 as of 2023.
pay 2.4 times more for a home
The median home value in Vermont is $290,500 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 64.0% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Vermont is $1,193 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 23.4% less likely to own your home
In Vermont, 72.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 14.7% less likely to smoke
In Vermont, 13.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In California, that number is 11.6% as of 2022.
be 7.2 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Vermont, 1.7% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
commute 5.6 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Vermont takes 23.4 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
be 74.4% more likely to be uninsured
In Vermont, 3.9% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In California, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 28.7% more likely to be physically inactive
In Vermont, 17.4% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In California, that number is 22.4% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 5.4 years older on average
The median age in Vermont is 43.0 years as of 2023. In California, the median age is 37.6 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 3.6 times more densely populated
Vermont has a population density of 27.1 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 18.3% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Vermont, 30.6% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In California, that number is 25.0% as of 2023.
be 16.9% more likely to be food insecure
In Vermont, 8.9% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In California, that number is 10.4% as of 2021.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
