The short answer for 2026, based on Vermont's cost of living — plus what people actually earn.
The typical Vermont household earns about $76,500 — roughly 19% below the $91,000 a comfortable lifestyle costs here. That gap is why cost of living matters so much in Vermont.
| Lifestyle | Salary needed |
|---|---|
| Modest (single, essentials covered) | $60,500 |
| Comfortable (average-state lifestyle) | $91,000 |
| Very comfortable (room to save) | $121,500 |
Figures scale each benchmark by Vermont's BLISS cost score (1.21). They estimate the pre-tax salary needed to match that spending power — actual needs vary by city, household size, and lifestyle.
A salary is not what you keep. See your actual paycheck after Vermont and federal taxes.
Calculate my take-home pay ›To live the way $75,000 does in an average U.S. state, you need about $91,000 in Vermont, because its cost of living is 21% above the U.S. average (a BLISS score of 1.21). A modest single-person budget is closer to $60,500, and $121,500 buys a very comfortable lifestyle with room to save.
About $76,500 a year. That is what a typical Vermont household actually earns — useful to compare against the $91,000 a comfortable lifestyle costs in the state.
Vermont's cost of living is 21% above the U.S. average, ranking #45 of 50 for affordability (#1 = cheapest). On our overall Best Life Rank, which weighs cost against quality of life, Vermont sits at #21 of 50.