[ledxzep85]

I am 25 years old and got married in September. My husband and I honeymooned in Ludlow, VT and of course fell in love. I currently live in North Eastern P.A. and was born in Rhode Island and lived there for a while. While in those two states we can have some harsh winter months, I realize that they do not even compare to Vermont's and I am prepared for that. My husband and I are looking to start a family soon and we want our children to live in an area with better family values and more community opprotunities that we unfortunately do not have around here. So here are my main concerns....

1. What is a good family oriented town?
2. Where are the jobs? btw my husband is a painter and I work as a bookkeeper and we barely make above minimum wage so we don't need high paying jobs...anything above 12.00 is good.
3. Where are some good baptist churches?
4. Where are the young couples?
5. What town has lower rent?

Thanks!

as a side note..any towns on the less touristy side would be great..we seem to attract a lot of NYC and Jersey people here in the Poconos..and not to offend anyone but we weren't brought up the same way and therefore don't have much in common...

[Vermonr]

First of all, congratulations on your marriage and on considering a move to Vermont!

1. I would honestly consider every town in VT a good family town, with only a couple exceptions. I grew up in Brandon and although it got a bit dull by the time I was a teenager it was a great place to be a kid. I guess it depends on what sort of events you see yourself and your kids participating in. Are you looking forward to boating, hiking, and camping? Then you might want to consider the area around Lake Dunmore (or any of the other lakes, really) or the Northeast Kingdom. Would you rather be close to "manufactured" fun, like going to the movies and bowling? Then you might like Rutland or Burlington.

2. As I'm sure everyone will come on here to tell you, it is VERY difficult to find work in VT. It takes a lot of persistence. Burlington has the best jobs, as do the surrounding areas of Essex, Williston, etc. The larger towns (Rutland, Middlebury) might have some as well, but finding work gets incredibly difficult as you go to more rural areas.

3. I regret that I won't be of any more help to this question than google maps would be, as I myself am not a church-goer.

4. Most young people are in Burlington, where there is a nightlife, cafes, and bars. Vermont has a very old population due to its lack of jobs.

5. Pretty much all of VT is expensive. 500/month will get you a not-so-great apt. in Burlington, but might get you something nicer in another area. I don't think that Rutland is too expensive, but somebody else might know more about exact renting costs in other areas.

As far as tourism goes, if you really don't like it then I advise not to consider Woodstock, Burlington, or Manchester, as those towns get the most tourists. Pretty much every VT town gets its fair share, but the smaller towns that are off the main roads will get less of it. I hope I've not discouraged you, and I wish you the best of luck with your decision!

[Sherylcatmom]

I second what Vermonr said. I think I agree with all of it.

Originally Posted by Vermonr

First of all, congratulations on your marriage and on considering a move to Vermont!

[68vette]

1) Most towns are good family towns. The more city areas have more issues. The pay that you want will be more around Burlington, Rutland ot Montpelier.

2) The best place in the state for employment is Chittenden County due to the size and population. Your job may bring in a little more than your husbands job because it may require skill or a degree. I don't mean to sound insulting, but your husbands job is considered unskilled labor. My son is in the same boat and only makes 9.50/hr. Minimum wage is higher than the federal rate, but incomes in general are much lower than the rest of New England.

3) You shouldn't have an issue finding a Baptist church. They are not as common as other denominations, but they are around.

4) The highest concentration of young people is in Chittenden County.

5) Vermont is not affordable. http://www.vhfa.org/about/news/releases/99_h-w-2010.pdf The Vermont Housing and Finance Admin just released it's report on how unaffordable the state has become. Housing/rental costs plus incomes are the reasons why. I would not count on $500 rent in Burlington. The median rent in the state is $920 (7th worst in the country), in Burlington you will be looking at that price and more for a decent place. The average Vermonter spends more than 30% of their income on housing. If you decide on Burlington, make sure you look at the place and not rent it sight unseen. There are many dumps in the city.

The state's main money maker is tourism. You will not spend one day without seeing a Mass, NY or CT plate.

[GypsySoul22]

I'm not sure what you pay in North Eastern PA (PA tends to be a cheap state apart from near Philly or Pitts) but VT is not.

I just went on Craigslist and in the Scranton area you can get nice apts. for what, $500-$700 a month, 2 or 3 bedrooms?

Now you up that to @$800-$1,000 a month PLUS and you have MY part of VT for 1-2 bedrooms...all for the glory of being NEAR a place that's ivy league. (but not hiring).

I can't speak for other parts of VT.

[arctichomesteader]

Rents seem a bit cheaper in Rutland than most of the rest of the state (except a few areas in the NEK), but the unemployment rate is high in Rutland too. I don't think you'll get a good place for $500 though. Definately not in Burlington, but I wouldn't want to raise a kid there either.

[GypsySoul22]

Oh, and you will not get away from NY or NJ people. They are all over VT, as well as rich MA and CT people. This is their playground. My neighbor is from another state and this is his second home.

He and his family come up (with various other people from other states) nearly every week. They don't give a damn about shouting at 6 am, banging doors at 7 am on weekends, or anything else a good neighbor tries to avoid.

The motto here is "Live where people play."

I would avoid any towns/villages in the Upper Valley--they are FULL of tourists.

[VTgoneaway]

The money won't work for you. VT has one of the oldest populations in the country, so there are young couples but not many. I'm sure there are Baptist Churches but understand VT is very proud of its recent ranking as the least religious state in America.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by ledxzep85

as a side note..any towns on the less touristy side would be great..we seem to attract a lot of NYC and Jersey people here in the Poconos..and not to offend anyone but we weren't brought up the same way and therefore don't have much in common...

Since you are church-affiliated, you could contact local Baptist churches and discuss Vermont life with people who share something important to you. Googling "Vermont Baptist church" produces many hits and a map showing their locations.

Can you visit Vermont, preferably long enough to get a feel for the place? You get some sense of how "at home" you might feel here. Of course, there's no substitute for actually living somewhere and trying to make a go of it, but it is useful. Again drawing on the church connection, you could attend church or at least visit with Baptist churches in each community you're considering. They might even have outreach committees to visit with people considering relocating.

People who post at this forum have vastly different experiences of Vermont. They're all real. But none of them describes "the Vermont experience," as I think there's no such thing -- rather, there are many such things. Nor will anyone's comments here predict what your experience would be like or whether you'll feel at home in Vermont.

For example: I live in Rutland City. My husband moved here for business, I moved here for love, and both of us are surprised at how much we enjoy it and how much it's improving. We experience it as a small, safe, congenial, rural city with a host of both assets and problems.

Another example: Since moving to Rutland in 1996, I've noticed relatively few visiting out-of-staters in day-to-day life. Our business serves mainly locals but welcomes visitors from elsewhere. The vast majority of our clients, whether from here or away, have been lovely people.

In 2000, my husband and I bought an affordable 2000 sq ft house that suits our small business. Our neighbors are full-time residents. We like the neighborhood, which generally has a "respect your neighbors" outlook -- again, always with certain exceptions and problems, but the aggregate experience is positive for us. Ask someone else in the same neighborhood and their experiences might be different.

[MTK1]

Honestly $500 a month will get you just about nothing in Burlington. Look on craigslist or Burlingtonapartments net to get a idea of pricing. You are in competition with wealthy out-of-state UVM students who pay 45K a year for tuition. I believe UVM has the most expensive out-of-state public university tuitions in the U.S. and they are willing to pay top dollar for off campus housing. Honestly just go read the recent post about the Housing report I recently posted to get a feel for it. Look to make maybe 9-11 a hour with the jobs you specified. To live in Burlington comfortably you will need to make double that or you will be spending 30-50 percent of your wage just on housing alone.