The Green Mountain state can be a beautiful place to live. With incredible hiking in the summer and some of the best skiing on the east coast, it can be a paradise for people who love the outdoors. Vermont is close to cities like Burlington and only a couple of hours away from major hubs like Boston and NYC. Even though Vermont can be an amazing place to live, there can be some risks to living in Vermont. If you are thinking of living in Vermont, here are the four biggest risks of living in the state of Vermont for you.
1. Long and Intense Winters
Many people flock to Vermont in the wintertime to enjoy the snowstorms and get on the slopes. But once you live in Vermont, even the ones that enjoy the winter the most can get sick of the constant snowfall.
Vermont has twisty roads around the mountains. Even if the streets are plowed well, they are still susceptible to black ice. You must be able to drive in these risky conditions to live in the state.
Once the snow melts in the spring, it may feel like a sigh of relief. But make sure you have rubber boots ready to go for mud season!
2. Fluctuating Economy
Many towns in Vermont rely heavily on tourism. While this can make the winter a great time to make a lot of cash, it may be hard to find jobs during the other seasons. Many people work seasonal jobs in Vermont and may have to bounce from company to company. While there are opportunities for financial stability in some parts of the state, the economy can always fluctuate depending on how well tourism does from year to year.
Larger city areas in Vermont have been hit hard by the pandemic and an ongoing opioid crisis. These circumstances push many people to opt into seasonal work instead of finding annual salaried jobs.
3. Competitive Housing
The cost of housing in Vermont is 11.5% lower than average in the United States. The issue in housing comes in the renting market. Renting a house in Vermont can become quite a challenge, especially if you are looking for something in the winter months.
Many people can afford higher-cost seasonal rentals during the winter months. This means that locals can get pushed out of renting opportunities for those that can afford a higher than average price tag.
If you want to live in Vermont, you have to be strategic about your locations. Living near a mountain resort like Stowe will come with a higher price tag than living out in the country.
4. Recreational Activities
There are so many activities to try in the beautiful outdoors of Vermont. But many of them come with risks and dangers that you should be aware of before heading out.
If you want to hike, make sure you do your research and don’t push yourself. Many beginner hikers can get injured when on trails that are too hard for them. Skiing and snowboarding in the winter are fun activities. But you have to make sure you go out with people that know what they are doing or even take lessons. It is very easy to get hurt on a mountain and then spend the rest of your winter sitting inside.
On your way home from the mountain, you can enjoy the freedom of stopping at a dispensary and picking up some marijuana to help wind down for the night. Vermont recently legalized marijuana, and although this is an upside to living in the state, they are still in the early stages of opening up dispensaries. So at this moment in time, there are only a couple throughout the state to choose from.
Conclusion
Vermont can be an incredible place to live, but it doesn’t come without its risks. You have to be ready to survive through cold weather. Finding dispensaries that are close enough to visit can be difficult. And the economy is in constant flux creating risks to living in Vermont. But if you like a challenge and enjoy a life that is a little more simple and goes with the flow, the Green Mountain state might be for you.
