South Burlington, Vermont

Population

Growing. Up 5.7% since 2020.

21,394

people, the 2nd-largest of Vermont's cities and towns.

Census Population Estimates, 2025. Rank among Vermont's cities and towns computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census Population Estimates

The workday

9 in 10 jobs here go to people who live somewhere else.

87.9%

of 19,464 jobs located in South Burlington are filled by in-commuters.

Census LEHD LODES, 2023. Sources: Census LEHD LODES

Rent

Median rent is up 66% since the 2005–2009 survey, before inflation.

$1,787

a month. Vermont's median is $1,234.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024 (latest), with earlier 5-year windows. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

The seam

Cross one tract line and median rent doubles.

A $1,231 gap between neighbors, the sharpest rent edge between adjacent tracts in Chittenden County.

• $1,216 Tract 34.01
• $2,447 Tract 33.01

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024, adjacent tracts compared by the Almanac. Tract estimates carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

Room to build

The median rent sits inside what local wages can carry.

$1,199–$1,799

is the monthly rent range local workforce wages support.

• $1,787 median

Supportable rent computed by the Almanac from 2023 source wage data. Median rent: Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Computed by the Almanac, Census ACS 5-year

Building

63% of the housing here was built before 2000.

• 1,739 homes permitted in ten years, 2016–2025
• 75% of those were in multifamily buildings
• 63% of all homes were built before 2000

Census Building Permits Survey, 2016–2025; Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Census Building Permits Survey, Census ACS 5-year

Units needed

Closing the gap would add 0.4–2.0% to the 9,673 homes here.

34–195

is the estimated number of missing housing units, from the lowest to the highest of three estimates.

Range computed by the Almanac from 2023 jobs and household data, using three demand models: 1% of jobs located here, 1% of renter households, and a rate by town size applied to renters. The low end is the lowest of the three and the high end the highest. It is an estimate, not a count. Sources: Computed by the Almanac

Home value

A median home costs 40% more than Vermont's.

$443,400

median home value in South Burlington.

• $443,400 South Burlington
• $316,600 Vermont
• $332,700 U.S.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Census ACS 5-year