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View of the Burlington Marketplace 2017-10-01Burlington, #1 on this list · Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain
Vermont rankings · Outdoors

Best towns for the outdoors in Vermont

Burlington ranks first on outdoors among Vermont’s 71 towns of 2,500+; 41 of the 71 grade A− or better on outdoors nationally.

The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. How grades work

#1

Burlington

Chittenden County · 44,019 people
A+

Outdoors grade, better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #43 of 71 in VT

#2

Windsor

Windsor County · 3,464 people
A+

Outdoors grade, better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #38 of 71 in VT

#3

Brattleboro

Windham County · 11,872 people
A

Outdoors grade, better than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #66 of 71 in VT

All 71 towns

Outdoors grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.

71 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownGradeOverall
1BurlingtonChittenden County · 44,019 peopleA+better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #43 of 71
2WindsorWindsor County · 3,464 peopleA+better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #38 of 71
3BrattleboroWindham County · 11,872 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #66 of 71
4MiddleburyAddison County · 9,208 peopleAbetter than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #22 of 71
5StoweLamoille County · 5,325 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #23 of 71
6WinooskiChittenden County · 8,239 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #61 of 71
7ManchesterBennington County · 4,413 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #36 of 71
8RutlandRutland County · 15,363 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #68 of 71
9NorwichWindsor County · 3,577 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #1 of 71
10MontpelierWashington County · 7,823 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #30 of 71
11WillistonChittenden County · 9,975 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #25 of 71
12NewportOrleans County · 4,274 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #69 of 71
13South BurlingtonChittenden County · 21,394 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #26 of 71
14ShelburneChittenden County · 8,133 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #9 of 71
15BenningtonBennington County · 14,953 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #70 of 71
16HinesburgChittenden County · 4,675 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #3 of 71
17RichmondChittenden County · 4,103 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #6 of 71
18ThetfordOrange County · 2,863 peopleAbetter than 87% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #33 of 71
19WoodstockWindsor County · 2,970 peopleAbetter than 87% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #21 of 71
20Fair HavenRutland County · 2,676 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #44 of 71
21ColchesterChittenden County · 17,565 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #16 of 71
22Bellows FallsWindham County · 2,706 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #64 of 71
23JohnsonLamoille County · 3,369 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #53 of 71
24MorristownLamoille County · 6,129 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #27 of 71
25EssexChittenden County · 11,346 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #13 of 71
26PownalBennington County · 3,219 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #67 of 71
27BristolAddison County · 3,759 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #7 of 71
28FerrisburghAddison County · 2,677 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #29 of 71
29PittsfordRutland County · 2,859 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #40 of 71
30HartfordWindsor County · 10,911 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #28 of 71
31Essex JunctionChittenden County · 10,921 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #5 of 71
32WaterburyWashington County · 5,434 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #10 of 71
33CharlotteChittenden County · 3,846 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #4 of 71
34BradfordOrange County · 2,834 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #8 of 71
35Hyde ParkLamoille County · 2,958 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #47 of 71
36SwantonFranklin County · 6,894 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #37 of 71
37NorthfieldWashington County · 5,873 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #34 of 71
38BrandonRutland County · 4,173 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #58 of 71
39JerichoChittenden County · 5,056 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #2 of 71
40MiltonChittenden County · 10,646 peopleA−better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #32 of 71
41PoultneyRutland County · 2,962 peopleA−better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #45 of 71
42WeathersfieldWindsor County · 2,809 peopleB+better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #17 of 71
43BerlinWashington County · 2,948 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #48 of 71
44RockinghamWindham County · 4,697 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #62 of 71
45HardwickCaledonia County · 2,950 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #49 of 71
46WilliamstownOrange County · 3,576 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #59 of 71
47WestminsterWindham County · 2,932 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #51 of 71
48St. AlbansFranklin County · 6,939 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #65 of 71
49BartonOrleans County · 2,732 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #41 of 71
50CambridgeLamoille County · 3,666 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #54 of 71
51SpringfieldWindsor County · 8,881 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #56 of 71
52PutneyWindham County · 2,575 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #42 of 71
53East MontpelierWashington County · 2,594 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #11 of 71
54CastletonRutland County · 4,411 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #15 of 71
55NewportOrleans County · 2,583 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #55 of 71
56HighgateFranklin County · 3,575 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #35 of 71
57DerbyOrleans County · 4,456 peopleB+better than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #57 of 71
58ShaftsburyBennington County · 3,558 peopleB+better than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #50 of 71
59RutlandRutland County · 3,869 peopleBbetter than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #63 of 71
60ChesterWindsor County · 2,955 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #18 of 71
61UnderhillChittenden County · 3,071 peopleBbetter than 61% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #24 of 71
62BarreWashington County · 8,214 peopleBbetter than 60% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #71 of 71
63St. JohnsburyCaledonia County · 7,354 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #60 of 71
64HartlandWindsor County · 3,398 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #52 of 71
65EnosburghFranklin County · 2,780 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #39 of 71
66RandolphOrange County · 4,958 peopleBbetter than 57% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #14 of 71
67FairfaxFranklin County · 5,455 peopleBbetter than 57% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #12 of 71
68LyndonCaledonia County · 5,628 peopleBbetter than 56% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #46 of 71
69RoyaltonWindsor County · 2,692 peopleB−better than 52% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #20 of 71
70GeorgiaFranklin County · 4,906 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #31 of 71
71VergennesAddison County · 2,559 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #19 of 71
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which Vermont town is best for the outdoors?

Burlington (Chittenden County) ranks first on outdoors among 71 towns, with an A+; Windsor and Brattleboro follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a outdoors grade (71 in Vermont). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Vermont page.

Go deeper

More Vermont lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Vermont rankings →
Best places to live71 towns · #1 NorwichBest small towns61 towns · #1 NorwichMost affordable towns71 towns · #1 EnosburghSafest towns38 towns · #1 CastletonTowns with the best schools71 towns · #1 NorwichHealthiest towns71 towns · #1 NorwichBest towns for jobs & income71 towns · #1 JerichoMost walkable towns71 towns · #1 BurlingtonTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk71 towns · #1 RutlandMost historic towns71 towns · #1 Bellows FallsTowns with the most civic life71 towns · #1 MontpelierTowns with the least snow71 towns · #1 ColchesterDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns71 towns · #1 LyndonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters75 towns · #1 VernonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers75 towns · #1 VernonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers75 towns · #1 Arlington and BartonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes71 towns · #1 CharlotteDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes70 towns · #1 CastletonDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns70 towns · #1 MorristownDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries43 towns · #1 WoodstockDescribed, no letters
Other states

Best towns for the outdoors in other states

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