Moving to Vermont from Michigan

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Michigan to Vermont — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Michigan to Vermont, you would find that Vermont is 17.9% more expensive than Michigan. A $75,000 salary in Michigan would need to be roughly $85,430 in Vermont to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Michigan to Vermont.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $85,430

To maintain the same standard of living in Vermont

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 9.5% more

Groceries

pay 17.4% more

Transportation

pay 11.9% more

Housing

pay 13.8% more

Childcare

pay 32.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 32.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Michigan to Vermont.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MI
453
VT
211
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MI
1533
VT
1802

Michigan generally does better on safety, though Vermont leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MI
4.9%
VT
3.9%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MI
36.0%
VT
27.2%

Vermont performs significantly better than Michigan across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MI
$217,600
VT
$290,500
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MI
$1,084
VT
$1,193

Michigan performs better than Vermont across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MI
89.4%
VT
88.4%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MI
24 min
VT
23 min

Michigan generally does better on infrastructure, though Vermont leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MI
4.8%
VT
2.6%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MI
$55,508
VT
$56,462

Vermont performs significantly better than Michigan across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MI
76.0 yrs
VT
78.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MI
22%
VT
31%

Vermont performs significantly better than Michigan across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Lansing Rain: 32.2 in/yr (817 mm)
58° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Montpelier Rain: 42.4 in/yr (1078 mm)
56° / 32°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lansing Montpelier
Jan–Mar 36°/21°F (2°/-6°C) 34°/8°F (1°/-13°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) 67°/42°F (20°/5°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/57°F (26°/14°C) 79°/53°F (26°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 47°/32°F (9°/0°C) 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C)
View all months
Month Lansing Montpelier
Jan 31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C) 28°/3°F (-2.2°/-15.9°C)
Feb 34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C) 33°/6°F (0.3°/-14.5°C)
Mar 44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C) 42°/16°F (5.4°/-8.9°C)
Apr 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) 55°/30°F (12.8°/-1.1°C)
May 69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C) 69°/42°F (20.3°/5.5°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) 78°/53°F (25.5°/11.7°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C) 83°/58°F (28.4°/14.2°C)
Aug 81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C) 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C)
Sep 74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C) 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.2°C)
Oct 60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C) 59°/35°F (15.1°/1.4°C)
Nov 47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C) 46°/26°F (7.6°/-3.4°C)
Dec 35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C) 32°/13°F (0.2°/-10.8°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Vermont than Michigan?

No — Vermont is on average about 14% more expensive than Michigan. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Vermont?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,358 in Vermont on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Vermont safe?

Michigan generally does better on safety, though Vermont leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Vermont compared to Michigan?

Vermont performs significantly better than Michigan across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Vermont compared to Michigan?

The average high temperature in Montpelier is 56°F, compared to 58°F in Lansing. Montpelier receives around 42.4 in of rainfall per year, while Lansing gets 32.2 in.

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