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Best Cities for Families in Vermont

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Vermont

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Vermont

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 78.3
Shelburne, VT
6,292 residents
Schools 6.8
Safety 13/100K
Home Affordability $496,700
#2
Score 78
South Burlington, VT
20,488 residents
Schools 6.8
Safety 112/100K
Home Affordability $399,600
#3
Score 75
Essex Junction, VT
10,720 residents
Schools 6.8
Safety 249/100K
Home Affordability $376,800
#4
Score 74.1
South Barre, VT
1,259 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 191/100K
Home Affordability $246,900
#5
Score 74
Winooski, VT
8,198 residents
Schools 6.8
Safety 313/100K
Home Affordability $350,700
#6
Score 72.7
Bristol, VT
2,005 residents
Schools 6.5
Safety 26/100K
Home Affordability $298,200
#7
Score 72.1
Montpelier, VT
8,038 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 149/100K
Home Affordability $349,200
#8
Score 72
Middlebury, VT
7,145 residents
Schools 6.5
Safety 182/100K
Home Affordability $388,100
#9
Score 71.3
Wilder, VT
3,394 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 86/100K
Home Affordability $241,000
#10
Score 71.3
Windsor, VT
1,961 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 90/100K
Home Affordability $158,800
#11
Score 70.3
Bradford, VT
1,326 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $246,400
#12
Score 69.8
Vergennes, VT
2,571 residents
Schools 6.5
Safety 193/100K
Home Affordability $263,500

Full Ranking, Vermont

Top 48 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Shelburne VT 78.3
2 South Burlington VT 78
3 Essex Junction VT 75
4 South Barre VT 74.1
5 Winooski VT 74
6 Bristol VT 72.7
7 Montpelier VT 72.1
8 Middlebury VT 72
9 Wilder VT 71.3
10 Windsor VT 71.3
11 Bradford VT 70.3
12 Vergennes VT 69.8
13 Burlington VT 69.6
14 White River Junction VT 68.9
15 Jericho VT 67.8
16 Randolph VT 67.8
17 Williamstown VT 67.4
18 Norwich VT 66.9
19 Milton VT 65.8
20 Waterbury VT 65.3
21 Morrisville VT 64.4
22 Castleton VT 64.3
23 North Bennington VT 62.3
24 Chester VT 62
25 Bellows Falls VT 60.7
26 Northfield VT 59.6
27 Brandon VT 58.8
28 Brattleboro VT 58.2
29 Springfield VT 58.1
30 Swanton VT 57
31 West Brattleboro VT 55.9
32 Poultney VT 55.5
33 West Rutland VT 54.9
34 Proctor VT 54.5
35 Arlington VT 54.2
36 Hardwick VT 54.2
37 Rutland VT 53.3
38 St. Johnsbury VT 52.4
39 Manchester Center VT 52.2
40 Barre VT 51.8
41 Bennington VT 49.2
42 Fair Haven VT 49.2
43 East Barre VT 48.4
44 Enosburg Falls VT 45.2
45 Richford VT 45.1
46 St. Albans VT 44.5
47 Lyndonville VT 43.6
48 Newport VT 42.1

Shelburne, VT tops the list with a composite score of 78.3 out of 100, followed by South Burlington and Essex Junction. VT dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →