Most Americans have never been to small town Vermont. However, as the Vermonter who live there know, small town Vermont is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Vermont has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Green Mountain State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 32 of Vermont’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Vermont where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Vermont for 2024:
- Enosburg Falls
- Richford
- Newport
- East Barre
- Lyndonville
- West Brattleboro
- Fair Haven
- Windsor
- Springfield
- Manchester Center
So what is the worst small town to call home in Vermont for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Enosburg Falls is the worst small town to live in Vermont.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Enosburg Falls home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Vermont or the worst places to live in Vermont.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Vermont For 2024
1. Enosburg Falls
/10
Population: 1,554
Median Home Value: $251,464
Median Income: $46,250
Unemployment Rate: 7.1%
2. Richford
/10
Population: 1,636
Median Home Value: $216,626
Median Income: $52,679
Unemployment Rate: 8.0%
3. Newport
/10
Population: 4,431
Median Home Value: $241,536
Median Income: $53,026
Unemployment Rate: 9.6%
4. East Barre
Population: 1,136
Median Home Value: $349,744
Median Income: $1,000
Unemployment Rate: 11.2%
5. Lyndonville
/10
Population: 1,143
Median Home Value: $212,378
Median Income: $54,688
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
6. West Brattleboro
/10
Population: 2,817
Median Home Value: $297,423
Median Income: $40,446
Unemployment Rate: 4.9%
7. Fair Haven
/10
Population: 2,422
Median Home Value: $209,705
Median Income: $67,300
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%
8. Windsor
/10
Population: 2,138
Median Home Value: $259,923
Median Income: $47,545
Unemployment Rate: 3.8%
9. Springfield
/10
Population: 3,946
Median Home Value: $218,106
Median Income: $48,476
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
10. Manchester Center
/10
Population: 1,835
Median Home Value: $441,693
Median Income: $73,333
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Vermont is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Vermont, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 32 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Vermont.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Vermont
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Green Mountain State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Vermont are Enosburg Falls, Richford, Newport, East Barre, Lyndonville, West Brattleboro, Fair Haven, Windsor, Springfield, and Manchester Center.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Vermont, according to science:
- South Barre (Pop. 1,362)
- Jericho (Pop. 1,166)
- Woodstock (Pop. 1,033)
For more Vermont reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Vermont
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enosburg Falls | 1,554 | 7.1% | $251,464 | $46,250 |
| 2 | Richford | 1,636 | 8.0% | $216,626 | $52,679 |
| 3 | Newport | 4,431 | 9.6% | $241,536 | $53,026 |
| 4 | East Barre | 1,136 | 11.2% | $349,744 | $1,000 |
| 5 | Lyndonville | 1,143 | 2.8% | $212,378 | $54,688 |
| 6 | West Brattleboro | 2,817 | 4.9% | $297,423 | $40,446 |
| 7 | Fair Haven | 2,422 | 3.5% | $209,705 | $67,300 |
| 8 | Windsor | 2,138 | 3.8% | $259,923 | $47,545 |
| 9 | Springfield | 3,946 | 4.2% | $218,106 | $48,476 |
| 10 | Manchester Center | 1,835 | 3.4% | $441,693 | $73,333 |
| 11 | North Bennington | 1,420 | 6.0% | $270,072 | $62,125 |
| 12 | West Rutland | 2,222 | 1.5% | $231,730 | $47,381 |
| 13 | Johnson | 1,347 | 10.1% | $330,938 | $49,016 |
| 14 | White River Junction | 2,766 | 4.6% | $360,462 | $66,979 |
| 15 | Randolph | 2,010 | 7.7% | $318,839 | $58,333 |
| 16 | Morrisville | 2,576 | 6.4% | $332,070 | $63,339 |
| 17 | Bristol | 1,956 | 8.0% | $391,695 | $65,536 |
| 18 | Swanton | 2,428 | 8.2% | $327,915 | $73,365 |
| 19 | Hardwick | 1,247 | 1.6% | $245,666 | $57,798 |
| 20 | Arlington | 1,781 | 5.8% | $357,569 | $70,938 |
| 21 | Brandon | 1,858 | 1.3% | $285,876 | $54,700 |
| 22 | Bellows Falls | 2,824 | 3.0% | $214,292 | $52,813 |
| 23 | Poultney | 1,250 | 5.5% | $262,485 | $67,868 |
| 24 | Milton | 3,712 | 16.0% | $427,339 | $81,526 |
| 25 | Bradford | 1,272 | 4.2% | $287,966 | $95,199 |
| 26 | Williamstown | 1,508 | 1.2% | $310,828 | $90,156 |
| 27 | Vergennes | 2,561 | 2.0% | $342,717 | $72,171 |
| 28 | Chester | 1,097 | 2.2% | $341,039 | $63,919 |
| 29 | Wilder | 3,634 | 5.8% | $333,949 | $70,758 |
| 30 | South Barre | 1,362 | 0.0% | $325,628 | $75,042 |
| 31 | Jericho | 1,166 | 0.0% | $519,340 | $97,174 |
| 32 | Woodstock | 1,033 | 0.0% | $711,711 | $85,536 |