Moving to Michigan from Vermont

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Vermont to Michigan, you would find that Michigan is 12.7% cheaper than Vermont. A $75,000 salary in Vermont would need to be roughly $65,844 in Michigan to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $65,844

To maintain the same standard of living in Michigan

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 8.2% less

Groceries

pay 12.7% less

Transportation

pay 6.3% less

Housing

pay 11.7% less

Childcare

pay 24.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 21.1% less

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 Vermont to Michigan.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

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

incidents per 100,000 people per year

VT
1802
MI
1533

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

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

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

share of adults with obesity

VT
27.2%
MI
36.0%

Vermont performs 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

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

typical monthly gross rent

VT
$1,193
MI
$1,084

Michigan performs significantly 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

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

minutes each way to work

VT
23 min
MI
24 min

Vermont generally does better on infrastructure, though Michigan leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

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

a broad measure of economic output per person

VT
$56,462
MI
$55,508

Vermont performs 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

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

VT
31%
MI
22%

Vermont performs 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

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

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Michigan than Vermont?

Yes — Michigan is on average about 12% cheaper than Vermont. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Michigan?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,461 in Michigan on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Michigan safe?

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

How is healthcare in Michigan compared to Vermont?

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

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

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

Share this