Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Burlington, Vermont
A $400,000 home here costs
$3,390per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,056. The real number is $1,333 higher every month — 65% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Burlington against Chittenden County and Vermont
| Measure | Burlington | Chittenden County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $400,200 | $404,500 |
| Median property tax | $7,144 | $6,527 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.785% | 1.614% |
| Median gross rent | $1,609 | $1,590 |
| Population | 44,649 | 168,831 |
The weather behind that power bill
Burlington sits in Chittenden County, which averages a high of 82.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 12.9°F in its coldest, with 37.53" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 656 cooling and 6,960 heating degree days, which is what sets the $224 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Chittenden County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Chittenden County
Full Chittenden County cost breakdown · Every county in Vermont
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Burlington?
A $400,000 home in Burlington, Vermont costs approximately $3,390 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,056 principal and interest, $595 property tax, $113 homeowners insurance, $292 utilities and $333 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Burlington?
Burlington has an effective property tax rate of 1.785%, based on a median home value of $400,200 and median real estate taxes of $7,144. That is higher than the Chittenden County average of 1.614%.
What is the average home price in Burlington?
The median owner-occupied home value in Burlington, Vermont is $400,200, against $404,500 across Chittenden County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Burlington?
Median gross rent in Burlington is $1,609 a month, against $3,390 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Burlington — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Vermont.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.