City profile · Vermont · Census ACS 2023

Burlington, VT

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Burlington — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

44,649
Residents
$68,854
Median income
$400,200
Median home
$1,487
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Burlington, VT

Burlington is a city in Vermont with a population of 44,649 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $68,854 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 7.6%. Typical homes in Burlington are valued around $400,200, and the median resident age is 26.7 years. About 60.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 61.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 228 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Rapid Growth), up 45% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 4768.7 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 47.6°F with 37.5 inches of precipitation per year and 87.5 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Vermont registers 98.0 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,487 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $251 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Burlington report an average commute of 16.0 minutes, with 47.3% driving alone and 16.7% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 36.4 out of 100 (Very Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

44,649 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Vermont

Median Household Income

$68,854 /yr

Poverty 7.6%

Cost of Living Index

98.0 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Burlington compare to other US cities?

Where Burlington sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 48% higher than other cities
Home value 77% pricier than other cities
Median rent 73% pricier than other cities
Safety 4% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Burlington against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Burlington, VT Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Burlington, VT. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Burlington, VT — median $68,854/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Burlington, VT — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 60.5%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.6%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.1%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
44,649
Median Income
$68,854
Median Home Value
$400,200
Median Age
26.7
Poverty Rate
7.6%
Labor force participation
61.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
60.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4768.7
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
479.1
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
4289.6
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
47.6°F
Annual Precipitation
37.5"
Annual Snowfall
87.5"

Schools

Total Schools
9
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
228
housing units authorized
Single-Family
6
detached homes
Multifamily
222
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 157
2020 107
2021 133
2022 149
2023 21
2024 228

Permit volume increased 45% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
16.0 minutes
Drive Alone
47.3%
Carpool
8.5%
Public Transit
5.3%
Walk
16.2%
Work from Home
16.7%
Other
6.0%

Based on 24,014 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Vermont — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$105
avg/month
Natural Gas
$98
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$251
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Vermont state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Vermont state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
98.0
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,487/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
36.4 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Burlington, VT Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Burlington, VT — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Burlington compares to nearby Vermont cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Burlington) plus the nearest peer cities in Vermont, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

VT

Burlington

68.85% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$68,854
Brackets
45
Selected

VT

South Burlington

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,050
Brackets
20
Selected

VT

Rutland

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,570
Brackets
16
Selected

VT

Essex Junction

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,070
Brackets
11
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VT FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Burlington, VT?

What is the population of Burlington, VT? +

Burlington, VT has a population of 44,649 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Burlington, VT? +

The median household income in Burlington is $68,854 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Burlington? +

Burlington has a cost of living index of 98.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Burlington, VT safe? +

Burlington has a total crime rate of 4768.7 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Burlington, VT? +

The median home value in Burlington is $400,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Burlington? +

Burlington has an average annual temperature of 47.6°F, 37.5 inches of precipitation, and 87.5 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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