[vtlover78]

Been to Vermont many times, but curious about a few things.

Heard the educational system is subpar with most of the country.
Doesn't seem to have anything going on with Professional or semi-professional sports
Its in the bottom five or ten as far as being business friendly or cultivating new business
Young people leave in droves after graduating; hence the oldest or second oldest population
1 in 3 U.S. counties are dying, and VT is third among states in this dreadful category
Horrible, long, cold bitter winters
No jobs. Or specifically not very good ones
Property taxes that would scare Donald Trump (hence pinching the average joe)
Worn down properties (rental or otherwise)
Worn down roads and driving conditions (no highway lamps, guardrails etc.) Sounds dangerous
Very spotty Cell coverage

Was thinking about moving the family there, but sounds horrible from the hard facts and statistics
I have read a lot of opinions, and it seems Vt is great to vacation in or live if you're loaded, but a nightmare for everyone else.
Any thoughts people?

[68vette]

Vermont is different for everyone. Vermont is a safe state to live in, it is family oriented, education is above average, but test scores for math and science have been disappointing the past few years, outdoor activities, natural beauty and several other favorable attributes. Vermont is a rural state and the number of good paying jobs is a little lacking. This is the key to living here. If you can afford a comfortable life, life will be good. COL is the straw that can break the camels back. If you don't have a decent paying job you end up living paycheck to paycheck, property taxes can be tough to swallow even with the rebate, and the rest of the list you already have mentioned in your post. If you look at everything you posted about it comes down to income/COL. With the one exception, the weather. You will need to enjoy winter activities. If you lock yourself up in the house all winter long, you may not last more than a couple of winters in Vermont. You will get what old Vermonters call, Cabin Fever.
If you want to move to Vermont and have children, choose a town to live in wisely. Some schools are better than others and some towns have higher property taxes than others (which a large portion of the property taxes are based on education budgets).

[Hopes]

Many vacation destinations aren't necessarily great for living year round. When my husband and I vacation at the beach, I always say how nice it would be to live there. He always points out that we wouldn't have time for the beach because we'd be working to afford living there.

Vermont is different because it's attractions are everywhere, right out your front door wherever you buy a house. It has a lot to offer people who are coming for reasons that overcome the challenges you've listed. And property isn't super expensive if you're willing to live further away from the popular areas. People coming from higher populated areas can easily find affordable housing since they don't mind longer commutes compared to local Vermonters.

If you have a keeping up with the Jones mentality, Vermont won't be the place for you. The benefits of Vermont have to out way the negatives. You say Vermont has horrible winters. Many people love winters. My son is drawn to Vermont every single year because he thrives in winter weather. Even though I'm not a cold weather fan, I haven't felt overly oppressed by Vermont's winters. You have to give up being a fashion statement and wear clothes that are made for the weather. If you're properly equipped, Vermont's winters aren't a big deal to me.

Only you know if it's right for you. Vermont is beautiful, but there are many other beautiful states.

[thunderkat59]

Our stay in Vermont was mixed.
I will always remember it as the most beautiful place I've ever lived.
Walking through the woods, watching snowfall at night . . . magic!
Woods and nature where there would be walmarts, strip malls and McMansion compounds in other states.

But, being married to my car and the looooong periods of darkness that bothered me the most.
I thought I could do it, but couldnt. The absolute lack of real, usable work didnt help anything either.
We had a few different places researched and chosen, but when Rutland City Schools called and offered my Wife a desirable position, we moved right outside of Rutland. While our town of Proctor was Leave-it-to-Beaver 'perfect', we had to conduct all of our affairs in Rutland. Rutland to me, was very, very depressing. Not Vermonts finest moment. I feel if we stuck to our plan of moving to one of the areas we researched pre-move, we would still be there.

Ive lived in a lot of places, some good, some bad. I would go back to Vermont in a second if I was independently wealthy.

[tkln]

Originally Posted by vtlover78

Horrible, long, cold bitter winters

As Hopes mentioned, believe it or not, there are actually people in this world who prefer the cold. I'm one of them. There are several more on this forum, and a LOT more who live here year round.

[Logs and Dogs]

Originally Posted by tkln

As Hopes mentioned, believe it or not, there are actually people in this world who prefer the cold. I'm one of them. There are several more on this forum, and a LOT more who live here year round.

Love the winter as well......

I enjoy all the seasons except Spring, when you push people who say they love spring they really like spring because they know summer is next.....spring in New England is primarily 40-50 and rainy, and that sucks.....and the mud......

I will take the long cold and snowy winter over the raw, wet, brown winter southern new england gets on average.

With a good blanket of snow you can spend the day outdoors enjoying the winter wonderland in a bunch of different ways.

[sovertennis]

OP, you make some valid observations, and as a life long (now in my 50s VTer) I'd add the following:

>>If you plan on moving here, make sure to visit often, in at various times of the year, before jumping in.
>>The weather isn't favorable. If long stretches of warm, sunny days are desirable, you won't find them in VT.
>>It is indeed expensive; on the other hand, people do not generally care about how you present yourself, eg if you drive a BMW no one will be impressed. Conspicuous consumption isn't a VT quality (except maybe in Chittenden Cty).
>>If you have children who will be going to public schools, research carefully where you will live.
>>Yes, our population is aging (like me). My two children went to college and never gave a thought to coming back
here. It's just as well.
>>People are friendly, but can be remote (which I attribute to the cold and being shut in for a good chunk of the year). Don't expect to make a passel of friends very quickly. Eventually, you'll make a few really good ones.
>>It is vital that you enjoy outdoor activities (biking, snowshoeing, skiing--xc is easy and great--hiking, etc) and are enthusiastic about doing something outdoors year round. Winters are not "horrible" but they are long and, as someone else posted, it's better to have cold and snow than semi-cold and brown, like in southern NE.
>>Find a job before you move.

Good luck

[RunawayJim]

Originally Posted by Logs and Dogs

Love the winter as well......

I enjoy all the seasons except Spring, when you push people who say they love spring they really like spring because they know summer is next.....spring in New England is primarily 40-50 and rainy, and that sucks.....and the mud......

I will take the long cold and snowy winter over the raw, wet, brown winter southern new england gets on average.

With a good blanket of snow you can spend the day outdoors enjoying the winter wonderland in a bunch of different ways.

Ugh... YES! I am so sick of seeing the weather reports... snow up north, "wintry mix" down here... which basically means the same cold weather, but with rain and mist and sleet and mud.

And you're totally right about spring. It's not really a nice season anywhere in the northeast. It's chilly, wet, and muddy everywhere. It's not nice until May-June... and then it's practically summer anyway.

I so wanna get out of Southern New England...

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by thunderkat59

But, being married to my car and the looooong periods of darkness that bothered me the most.

Everyone is different. I live in a large metro area where being married to a car is required. It's all I've ever known. When I'm in Vermont, I have to catch myself from jumping in the car to go down the street to the general store. I most certainly can walk more in Vermont than I do in the Pittsburgh suburbs. I actually like darkness. Overcast skies are my preference. I feel beaten down by the sun on cloudless days.

Originally Posted by thunderkat59

While our town of Proctor was Leave-it-to-Beaver 'perfect', we had to conduct all of our affairs in Rutland. Rutland to me, was very, very depressing. Not Vermonts finest moment.

I don't mind Rutland. I wouldn't want to live there, but I'm certainly not depressed when I go there. To me, it's a suburban shopping area. I don't even have to see the depressing parts of Rutland. It's a major shopping area for a large portion of the state. I'll be even the quaint little towns you researched that have basic daily amenities would require Rutland for big shopping trips---like furniture, mattresses, Dicks, and such.

[Targo]

Yes, it suks here in VT and we're all planning to leave ASAP so please don't bother coming and will the last person to leave please turn out the lights.

We're moving to Detroit, I understand it awesome there.

I mean really…….