Moving to Vermont from Wisconsin

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Wisconsin to Vermont, you would find that Vermont is 6.9% more expensive than Wisconsin. A $75,000 salary in Wisconsin would need to be roughly $82,451 in Vermont to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $82,451

To maintain the same standard of living in Vermont

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 5.8% more

Groceries

pay 14.3% more

Transportation

pay 10.3% more

Housing

pay 15.9% more

Childcare

pay 17.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 22.0% 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 Wisconsin to Vermont.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

WI
286
VT
211
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

WI
1204
VT
1802

Wisconsin 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

WI
5.2%
VT
3.9%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

WI
37.8%
VT
27.2%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

WI
$247,400
VT
$290,500
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

WI
$1,045
VT
$1,193

Wisconsin 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

WI
89.5%
VT
88.4%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

WI
22 min
VT
23 min

Wisconsin performs better than Vermont across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

WI
3.0%
VT
2.6%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

WI
$59,333
VT
$56,462

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

WI
77.7 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

WI
22%
VT
31%

Vermont performs significantly better than Wisconsin 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.

Madison Rain: 34.5 in/yr (876 mm)
56° / 37°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Madison Montpelier
Jan–Mar 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) 34°/8°F (1°/-13°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) 67°/42°F (20°/5°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) 79°/53°F (26°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C)
View all months
Month Madison Montpelier
Jan 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) 28°/3°F (-2.2°/-15.9°C)
Feb 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) 33°/6°F (0.3°/-14.5°C)
Mar 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) 42°/16°F (5.4°/-8.9°C)
Apr 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) 55°/30°F (12.8°/-1.1°C)
May 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) 69°/42°F (20.3°/5.5°C)
Jun 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) 78°/53°F (25.5°/11.7°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) 83°/58°F (28.4°/14.2°C)
Aug 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C)
Sep 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.2°C)
Oct 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) 59°/35°F (15.1°/1.4°C)
Nov 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) 46°/26°F (7.6°/-3.4°C)
Dec 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°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 Wisconsin?

No — Vermont is on average about 10% more expensive than Wisconsin. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Vermont?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,613 in Vermont on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Vermont safe?

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

How is healthcare in Vermont compared to Wisconsin?

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

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

The average high temperature in Montpelier is 56°F, compared to 56°F in Madison. Montpelier receives around 42.4 in of rainfall per year, while Madison gets 34.5 in.

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