Why So Few Americans Live In Vermont

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Vermont, also known as the Green Mountain State, has one of the longest and most interesting histories in the United States. At one point, for a considerable period of time, it was even it's own country! But despite this lengthy history, only about 647,000 people call the state home, less than half its neighbor New Hampshire and MUCH smaller than either New York State or Massachusetts. So why don't more people live in Vermont if it's both beautiful and in a region that is otherwise densely populated?

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[GeographyByGeoff]

War Thunder is a highly detailed vehicle combat game containing over 2, 000 playable tanks, aircraft, and ships spanning over 100 years of development. Immerse yourself completely in dynamic battles with an unparalleled combination of realism and approachability.

[MartinReiter]

For me, the relatively low population density is a major attraction, and not a negative.

[joecalcagni]

I was born and raised in VT, lived in Maine for a few years, traveled the country for a year, and moved back to VT to get back to elderly family and start one of my own. The low population and relatively undeveloped landscape are big factors in why I came back, and the people of VT, on the whole, treat the landscape with a bit more respect than maybe the average American would. Don't expect many creature comforts; you won't find any huge shopping malls, department stores, or fast food places, and you need to be able to weather some very harsh climate (not just nasty cold in the winters, but flooding and/or humidity in summer as well). For these reasons, among others, Vermont has a vivid and colorful personality that you won't find in other states. Everywhere else I've been across the US feels more crowded, dirty, and "used". The wealth demographics are also pretty unique: a very large proportion of our citizens are upper-middle-class, which is why our state is usually known as "weirdly rich", which I would actually correct to "weirdly wealthy". There are very few rich people and there are a good number of low-income families as well. Unfortunately, since the pandemic, many people from urban areas have moved to VT or bought homes here and it is causing a huge slew of issues, primarily in the housing and real-estate markets, all while slowly degrading that "charm" we all love. I also believe development is not encouraged the same way you would see in our neighboring states, mostly to preserve the land and wildlife. New Hampshire and Maine to a pretty good job of this as well.

We are a quirky little state for sure: there are some super progressive (bordering on communist) politics, but we also have a huge amount of freedom with our firearms and the Governor is Republican. You find a ton of hippies and you find a ton of rednecks. It is a great place to hide a doomsday shelter or an equally great place to start a homestead. I absolutely love it here!

Advice for the city-slickers that move here or visit during the winter: snow tires are not a suggestion, they are a REQUIREMENT. Stop crashing into shit...

[larrysherk]

As a Vermonter, I can tell you why so few people live in the state. The simple asnwer is that we maintain a healthy distance between people. It costs a little more, but it works. A lovely place, with 10, 000 trees for each of us.

[elizabethjohnson]

From the comments I totally see why Vermont is not highly populated and is backward. The people dont want everything "chain". They want down-home. They want tiny community, and mom 'n pop places. To be original, unique, small and not commercial, crowded, and criminalized. That's a breath of fresh air!

[richardgaiotti]

You are missing 2 key parts of the story of the populating of VT, my home state. We were on par or more advanced then most in the early part of the industrial revolution but then in the 1830's came the "famine years" with killing frost and snow in every month of the year. An exodus began and many farmers and inventers, like john deere, moved to the midwest for dire need to survive. One generation later Vermont sent thousands of their best and brightest, never to return, to fight a war to end slavery that we here had abolished peacefully decades before. VT lost more soldiers per cappita then any other state involved in the conflict known as the civil war. Through these times and on through WW 1 we out produced all New england combined in copper used both for war and domestic efforts, and out produced in marble slate and granite, literaly the building blocks of our nations capitol and, perhaps in bitter irony, the headstones of Arlington cemetary were so many vermonters lay . The floods of 1927 and 1932, back to back "100 year" flood events left VT in a condition close to as desperate as the earliest settler days. A look at census data shows that the populations of most Vermont towns {90%} have been declining since the early 1800's. Only in the 21st century are the numbers starting to grow as we exist within an above average cost of living and a below average mean income. We enjoy, for now, significantly warmer winters that threaten our maple syrup and ski industries, and we tolerate more severe weather and flood events that threaten our agricultural and infrastuctural sustainability. Also at this time the uptick in certain population and average income is added by and large by people who exist independently from the VT economy and it is hard to say if this trend is really part of the next chapter of history or just a blip on the radar. Thanks for considering these facts as part of your understanding of our little state.

[Vermonter]

I am more than happy to keep the state small. part of its beauty

[rcc]

Born in VT, lived here almost 67 years and love it here. Have worked both here in VT and nearby in MA for the past 50+ years, and if you have any abilities to do anything constructive, or are trained in almost any kind of trade, there's lots of work and business to be had. It's a great place to live, and not far (where we live) from some larger cities in NY and MA. I like it just the way it is.

[SarahProbst-oh]

I am a Vermonter who lives in the Lebanon region as you called it. We call it the Upper Valley. You missed Act 250 as a major reason that Vermont is still not very populated. It is a state law passed in 1970 to preserve Vermont’s character and community by restricting development in the state. Permits can be denied for anything over 10 acres in a rural area and over 1 acre in a town that has no zoning rules.

[SofaSpy]

You should do a video on why Vermont is so rich but yet West Virginia is so poor when both have the same mountainous terrain and geographic challenges

[FXwashere]

Fun fact: Vermont got its name from the green mountains that it has, and that name literally translates to "Green Mountain" in French (Vert = Green ; Mont = Mountain).

[clav]

I grew up in Vermont in a town just north of Burlington. On the one hand, you grow up very much in tune with nature and the seasons and the entire state has a small town feel where people are friendly and are happy to visit, borrow, and barter with their neighbors. We made apple cider and maple syrup from our trees and traded for pork and beef from neighbors with hobby farms. On the other hand, it really can feel very remote to those who visit from the major population centers who expect the same creature comforts. Do NOT expect to find a Starbucks anywhere outside of Burlington. There is only ONE Target store in the whole state, which only opened about five years ago. Most fast food chains are not in Vermont. A lot of trends in culture and technology are slow to be adopted (good luck finding an Uber or Lyft anywhere outside of Burlington!). So for those who want a break from modern society, Vermont is a paradise!

[AntoineLavoisier]

I went to school in Vermont and spent a few summers there. Winters are brutal but the summers are amazing!

[timothkeyyprice]

What you didn’t mention was Vermont’s quarries, which provided the marble for many of Washington DC’s monuments. Skilled Italian craftsmen fashioned the stone, while the Irish built the railways to haul it to its destination. Consequently we have Celtic music and great Italian food.😉

[jeffyoung]

I met a young woman in Los Angeles who was from Vermont. She told me that Vermont is a beautiful, wonderful place to grow up all the way to the end of college. But after that and you're now an adult responsible for yourself. It's time to leave Vermont for the big urban cities to find a job career which is very difficult to do in Vermont.

[sapinva]

A little bit misleading. If you included everything from the Adirondacks to the White Mountains, it's all pretty much empty. Vermont just happens to sit in the middle of that area. In fact Burlington is basically the metro center of that whole region.

[thormusique]

Fun show, thanks! As a Vermonter myself, I completely agree with the comments of other Vermonters here. Something I would add regarding what makes the state unique is its lack of billboards. This is one of those things for which I'm forever grateful when travelling to other states. I've travelled the world and lived in quite a few countries, but Vermont is the only place I've ever lived where I feel I'm on perpetual holiday. And no matter where else I go now, I just can't wait to come back here. Also, longtime Vermonters are of a certain type: independent, hardy, resourceful, yet community-minded. Cheers!

[eliplayz]

I’m from Maine but I have family in Vermont. Once a year (with the obvious exception of the Covid years), we would visit that family. Vermont is a really nice state.

[kosycat]

I've spent months of my time driving up from Maryland to Vermont to snowboard. I love it there. old school feel and quiet and peaceful. Every time I Pass the Bennington monument headed towards Dover up the mountain passes like Suddenly everyone is gone, and you feel a sense of emptiness as soon as you cross the border. Killington, Stowe, Sugarbush, and Jay Peak are my favs.

[maxpowr]

Fun Fact: The Ethan Allen "Express": is an Amtrak line that goes from NYC, now to Burlington, VT.