What is the best gay city to live in Vermont?
Find out which city in Vermont is the most affordable VS the most LGBTQ-friendliness here. Then, start reaching financial sustainability and independence by eliminating any credit card debt with the free 7-Step Credit Card Debt Slasher.
Watch more on where the best gay city to live is in Vermont
What is the best gay city to live in Vermont?
We ironically have a lot to say about a state with its dearth of data, making it hard to analyze. Similar to Wyoming, Vermont is sparsely populated, with 687,000 people in the whole state. Burlington is the most populated, with 44,000 people. Essex is the second most populated, with 22,000 people, and Burlington is third, with 20,000 people. All three of those locations make up the greater Burlington metro area.
Vermont is the first state in this series that we couldn’t rely on Zillow for, and the US Census weirdly wasn’t a backup data source. Not a single city in Vermont ranked by Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index got 100, and we could only get median household income as opposed to median and average household income.
So, which city in Vermont is the runner-up? Montpelier!
Why?
It’s important to note that it’s Vermont’s capital, with a population of just over 8,000.
Rent is $1,114, considerably below the national average. Median home values are $304,000, also below the national average. The cost of living is basically at the national average of 99.8%. Montpelier’s median income is third for Vermont, just over $71,000, and a lot higher than many cities with similar rent costs. It, however, earned a 62 on HRC’s MEI, making it number two.
So, who’s the winner in Vermont for the most affordable, most LGBTQ+ friendly city? Rutland City!
Why?
For context, the population of Rutland City is 16,000 people, and it has the lowest rent for all the cities in Vermont at $981 a month. Home values are slightly higher than Montpelier at $320,000. Rutland has the lowest cost of living at 88.5% or 11.5% below the national average. It is on the lower end for median household incomes at $52,000, and the Human Rights Campaigns Municipal Equality Index is 61, putting it in third place in Vermont.
So, why isn’t Burlington the winner, you might ask? Burlington has a population of about 215,000, including Burlington, South Burlington, and Essex. HRC’s MEI is number one, and rent meets that national average, but home values in Burlington are the most expensive in Vermont, even more expensive than South Burlington or Essex. Burlington’s cost of living is also the highest in Vermont. The median income is in the middle at $59,000 a year.
So, what are the great things about Rutland City?
Rutland celebrated its first Pride in 2021. Also, in 2021, Rutland passed a declaration of inclusion that “condemns racism and discrimination of any type and welcomes all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability.”
Rutland’s logo says, “I < heart > Rutland” with a progressive flag in the heart and “All Are Welcome Here!” below.
Thank you for listening to another episode. On next Thursday’s Queer Money bonus episode, we’re covering the most affordable and most gay-friendly city in the state of Utah.
If you’d like to see the results of all the cities in each state we’re analyzing, go to queermoneypodcast.com/cities or click the link in your podcast player for a growing analysis.
Previous Bonus Podcast Episodes
- The Best Gay City to Live in Virginia
- The Best Gay City to Live in Washington
- The Best Gay City to Live in West Virginia
Click below to listen to this bonus episode