Moving to Vermont from South Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Carolina to Vermont — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Carolina to Vermont, you would find that Vermont is 9.7% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $76,542 in Vermont to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Montpelier averages 56°F vs 66°F in Columbia, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Carolina to Vermont.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,542
To maintain the same standard of living in Vermont
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.9% less
Groceries
pay 0.6% more
Transportation
pay 15.7% more
Housing
pay 2.2% less
Childcare
pay 18.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 38.9% more
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 South Carolina to Vermont.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Vermont performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Vermont performs significantly better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
South Carolina generally does better on what about housing?, though Vermont leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Vermont performs significantly better than South Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Vermont performs significantly better than South Carolina across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Vermont performs significantly better than South 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Columbia | Montpelier |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 34°/8°F (1°/-13°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 67°/42°F (20°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Montpelier |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 28°/3°F (-2.2°/-15.9°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 33°/6°F (0.3°/-14.5°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 42°/16°F (5.4°/-8.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 55°/30°F (12.8°/-1.1°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 69°/42°F (20.3°/5.5°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 78°/53°F (25.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 83°/58°F (28.4°/14.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.2°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 59°/35°F (15.1°/1.4°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 46°/26°F (7.6°/-3.4°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 32°/13°F (0.2°/-10.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Vermont than South Carolina?
Costs in Vermont and South Carolina are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Vermont?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,136 in Vermont on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Vermont safe?
Vermont performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Vermont compared to South Carolina?
Vermont performs significantly better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Vermont compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Montpelier is 56°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Montpelier receives around 42.4 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
