Moving to Vermont from North Carolina

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Carolina to Vermont — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from North Carolina to Vermont, you would find that Vermont is 5.9% more expensive than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $76,627 in Vermont to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Montpelier averages 56°F vs 67°F in Asheville, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from North Carolina to Vermont.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $76,627

To maintain the same standard of living in Vermont

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 9.5% more

Groceries

pay 1.9% less

Transportation

pay 0.9% more

Housing

pay 1.0% more

Childcare

pay 8.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 25.3% 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

How North Carolina and Vermont stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
379
VT
211
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
1998
VT
1802

Vermont performs significantly better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

NC
9.6%
VT
3.9%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NC
33.6%
VT
27.2%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

NC
$259,400
VT
$290,500
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NC
$1,162
VT
$1,193

North Carolina generally does better on what about housing?, though Vermont leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

NC
88.7%
VT
88.4%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NC
25 min
VT
23 min

North Carolina 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

NC
3.4%
VT
2.6%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NC
$59,308
VT
$56,462

Vermont generally does better on employment & economy, though North Carolina leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NC
76.1 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

NC
22%
VT
31%

Vermont performs significantly better than North Carolina 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.

Asheville Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Asheville Montpelier
Jan–Mar 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) 34°/8°F (1°/-13°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 67°/42°F (20°/5°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 79°/53°F (26°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C)
View all months
Month Asheville Montpelier
Jan 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) 28°/3°F (-2.2°/-15.9°C)
Feb 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) 33°/6°F (0.3°/-14.5°C)
Mar 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) 42°/16°F (5.4°/-8.9°C)
Apr 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) 55°/30°F (12.8°/-1.1°C)
May 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) 69°/42°F (20.3°/5.5°C)
Jun 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) 78°/53°F (25.5°/11.7°C)
Jul 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) 83°/58°F (28.4°/14.2°C)
Aug 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C)
Sep 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.2°C)
Oct 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) 59°/35°F (15.1°/1.4°C)
Nov 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) 46°/26°F (7.6°/-3.4°C)
Dec 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°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 North Carolina?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Vermont and North Carolina; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

How much money do I need to move to Vermont?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $19,157 in Vermont for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Vermont safe?

Vermont performs significantly better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Vermont compared to North Carolina?

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

What's the weather like in Vermont compared to North Carolina?

The average high temperature in Montpelier is 56°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Montpelier receives around 42.4 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.

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