It’s a weird question to answer for those of us who grew up here because unlike other places with all the same issues we have that attachment to it because of our hometowns….. i lived out of state for a long time and to me it feels like VT is the only place with normal people in it. so yes I would still move back because I love the people here and being near family but would I recommend it over other more affordable places to someone without family ties to VT specifically? Idk. There’s lots of places with mountains and lakes sometimes I think about picking up everything and going to Lander WY. Even western MA has a lot of the same stuff as VT but the wages are higher, I’ve had a few friends move down there for that reason, same with central NY and the Hudson valley.