My wife and I moved to Vermont from New Hampshire 5 years ago. In that short amount of time, as with much of the country, real estate prices have increased considerably. Couple that with the higher cost of borrowing and home prices not really coming down, you have a pretty unfavorable market if you are looking to buy.

There are a lot beautiful places in Vermont. We bought a home in Stowe and plan on being here for many years to come. In my opinion, it’s the best place in the entire state. But of course I am biased. That said, the Mad River Valley (Warren/Waitsfield) is super nice and so is Waterbury. If you are looking for more city vibe, South Burlington is the spot. Anywhere in Chittenden County will be expensive because the schools systems are great.

As far as taxes, Vermont is one of the highest in the country for overall tax burden (I believe 4th last time I checked). Again, job scarcity depends on what industry you are in.

If you can swing it, Vermont is an incredible state. After 5 years in MA and 26 in NH, I can say from experience that VT is just better.