Chittenden County · Vermont
Cost of living in Burlington, VT
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Burlington-South Burlington, VT, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in Burlington, VT costs in line with the national average — an all-items price level of 100.9. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $100,949 here.
- All items
- 100.9US average = 100
- Housing
- 103.83.8% above the national average
- Goods
- 97.32.7% below the national average
- Other services
- 101.61.6% above the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 97.3 | -2.7% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 103.8 | +3.8% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 125.5 | +25.5% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 101.6 | +1.6% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Burlington, VT
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (100.9 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $62,374
- Needed to match US average
- $63,564
- Monthly difference
- $50
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in Burlington earns $62,966. Deflated by the local price level, that is $62,374 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 100.9.
More on Burlington
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Burlington-South Burlington, VT. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.