City profile · Vermont · Census ACS 2023

South Burlington, VT

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

20,488
Residents
$97,229
Median income
$399,600
Median home
$1,487
Median rent

Data Snapshot: South Burlington, VT

South Burlington is a city in Vermont with a population of 20,488 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $97,229 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 4.5%. Typical homes in South Burlington are valued around $399,600, and the median resident age is 38.8 years. About 65.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 69.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 66 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 30% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 4619.7 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

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 South Burlington report an average commute of 15.8 minutes, with 71.4% driving alone and 16.3% 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

20,488 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Vermont

Median Household Income

$97,229 /yr

Poverty 4.5%

Cost of Living Index

98.0 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does South Burlington compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 76% higher than other cities
Home value 77% pricier than other cities
Median rent 73% pricier than other cities
Safety 5% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare South 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 — South Burlington, VT Quintile shares of aggregate household income for South 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 South Burlington, VT — median $97,229/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 South Burlington, VT — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 65.1%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.5%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 69.6%

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

Population
20,488
Median Income
$97,229
Median Home Value
$399,600
Median Age
38.8
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Labor force participation
69.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
65.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4619.7
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
234.7
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
4385.0
per 1,000 residents

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
66
housing units authorized
Single-Family
62
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 94
2020 92
2021 247
2022 414
2023 419
2024 66

Permit volume decreased 30% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
15.8 minutes
Drive Alone
71.4%
Carpool
6.5%
Public Transit
1.6%
Walk
1.4%
Work from Home
16.3%
Other
2.8%

Based on 11,891 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 — South 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 South 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 South 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 (South Burlington) plus the nearest peer cities in Vermont, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

VT

South Burlington

97.23% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$97,229
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
Selected

VT

Bennington

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$890
Brackets
9
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VT FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about South Burlington, VT?

What is the population of South Burlington, VT? +

South Burlington, VT has a population of 20,488 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in South Burlington is $97,229 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in South Burlington? +

South 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 South Burlington, VT safe? +

South Burlington has a total crime rate of 4619.7 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

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

The median home value in South Burlington is $399,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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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