Retirees Find Plentiful Cultural and Recreational Opportunities in Picturesque Burlington, Vermont

Cost of Living:  Above the National Average

Located on a hill with views of the Adirondack Mountains and overlooking sparkling Lake Champlain, the sixth largest lake in the United States, Burlington, Vermont (population 40,000) is a picturesque New England college town with roughly 4,000 retiree residents who enjoy beautiful scenery, a high quality of life and socially progressive politics.   Burlington dates from the 1770s, its most famous residents being the revolutionary Ethan Allen and Ben and Jerry (of ice cream fame), and it has been an important sea port and military post.   In the 1980s and 1990s, the town began to focus on revitalization; today its inviting waterfront boasts shops, galleries and restaurants, and Church Street, complete with a white, steeple Unitarian church at one end, is a lively, downtown pedestrian mall that attracts residents of all ages.

Older homes needing some repair work can be found in other neighborhoods and start in the high $100,000s, and lovely, newer, single-family homes with 2-3 bedrooms, 2 baths and nice lots are located throughout town starting in the low to mid $200,000s.

Burlington also has a good selection of condominiums and town homes.  Some are in new developments; others are conversions in turn-of-the-last-century, Victorian homes.   The least expensive condo we found was a 880 square foot unit (built in 1994) with 2 bedrooms, 1 bath for $159,000.  The most expensive town home was a luxury unit with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, an open floor plan and gorgeous Lake views for $995,000; units can be found for nearly any price in between.

This being a college town, apartments are plentiful, but most are rented to students.  On average, one bedroom units begin at $650 per month; 2 bedroom units start at $850 per month.   Burlington also has one manufactured home park (Farrington's Mobile Home Park ~ 802-864-5238); homes start at about $22,000.  We also found for sale many mobile homes on private land on the outskirts of town.

Vermont's property taxes are high and have always been higher than most other states in the nation, although some homeowners receive significant breaks.   Property taxes are calculated by dividing the listed value by 100 and multiplying that by the combined school and municipal tax rate (for Burlington, this is 1.72).  Thus, the owner of a home with a listed value of $100,000 would pay $1,720 a year in property taxes.  Owners of primary residences whose household income is under $85,000 (or, starting in 2007, under $90,000) may qualify for greatly reduced school taxes on their home and up to 2 acres.  Primary home owners with incomes under $47,000 may qualify instead for a reduction in their assessment, and/or a significant rebate on their total property taxes, including municipal taxes.

Senior services in Burlington are quiet good.  SCORE (Service Center of Retired Executives) and RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) are both active here and help place seniors in a variety of volunteer positions.   The Champlain Senior Center (802-658-3585) provides many services, including blood pressure checks, grief support and home safety checks and offers nutrition, line dancing, painting, poetry and many other classes.  The Senior Helpline (800-642-5119) also offers help and support to retirees.

Vermont is a rugged, rural state, and since Burlington sits between two mountain ranges (the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains) and along a lake and a river (the Winooski), there are plenty of recreational opportunities, from hiking (twenty miles to the east of Burlington is the Long Trail, Vermont's section of the Appalachian Trail) and sailing to skiing (eight downhill ski areas, including Stowe and Sugarbush, are nearby) and golf (Burlington has six courses in and around town).  Leaf peepers from all over the country come to Vermont each September and October to revel in the blanket of stunning color that softly descends on the area.  Quiet country roads, deep woods, road-side apple-cider and maple syrup stands, rural antique markets and rustic, covered bridges all lend to Vermont's quiet beauty and charm.   

Burlington itself has beaches, 27 parks and plenty of intercollegiate sports provided by the University.  For those seeking a little more culture, Montreal, one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities, is just 90 miles away, although locally residents will find a thriving arts colony, jazz festivals, theater events and concerts year-round (Nectars on Main Street is a great place for live music).  Not far away is University Mall, Vermont's largest indoor mall, and trendy, downtown Church Street provides more opportunities for shopping.   Seniors may also take classes through the University of Vermont's Division of Continuing Education, and St. Michael's College in nearby Colchester operates an Elderhostel program and also offers classes specifically for seniors.

Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) provides local bus transportation throughout town, to the airport and to surrounding communities.  Seniors receive a fare discount.  There is also a free shuttle between downtown, the University and the waterfront.

Fletcher Allen Hospital Care is the primary medical facility with 550 beds and operates three sites in Burlington, the largest being at the University of Vermont campus.   The Hospital provides cardiac care, emergency services, cancer care and more.  For a town its size, Burlington has excellent health care facilities.

Burlington's violent crime rate is well below the national average, although the property crime rate (primarily burglaries) is higher than the national average.   The good news is the rate has been dropping since the late-1990s. 

The New England climate may be a drawback to retiring here.  The area has four distinct seasons, with cool summers (temperatures in the 70s and low 80s) and cold, damp and cloudy winters (temperatures in the teens and 20s).  Anyone relocating here has to enjoy winter or he or she may go nuts (Burlington receives 15-20 inches of snow per month during the winter).   Autumn is, of course, the best season and may be worth the gray winter days.

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