Bridge 15 · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Sharon costs more to live in than 80% of U.S. towns
Up 3% in a year, close to the Vermont typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Lebanon-Claremont, NH-VT micro area ($83K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Sharon’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($83K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up no better than renters: 26% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 20% of renters.
In dollars
- $375Ktypical home, 4% below the Vermont typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,430a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.2 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$83K, Lebanon-area income
- 20%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 26%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Sharon
What’s behind Sharon’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Sharon is more affordable than 20% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Vermont: up 12.5% in five years, against 16.9% statewide (Zillow).
Up 12.5% in five years
Slower than Vermont (16.9%).
Show as a table
| January | Sharon | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $227,000 | $240,000 |
| 2018 | $235,000 | $252,000 |
| 2019 | $237,000 | $260,000 |
| 2020 | $255,000 | $270,000 |
| 2021 | $287,000 | $297,000 |
| 2022 | $336,000 | $343,000 |
| 2023 | $356,000 | $371,000 |
| 2024 | $371,000 | $392,000 |
| 2025 | $368,000 | $392,000 |
| 2026 | $373,000 | $391,000 |
| September 2026 | $375,000 | $392,000 |
A typical Sharon home worth $223K in October 2016 is worth about $375K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 4.2 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Sharon’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $84K short of a typical Sharon home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,430 a month here, $1,070 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Sharon’s typical property tax (1.70% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,430
Renters already here pay a median of $1,386.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Orange County, VT): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs above the Vermont norm
The median bill is $5,903 (Vermont: $5,039), 1.70% of a home’s value a year, against 1.59% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Sharon vs. its neighbors
Of the 5 towns here with a Zillow value, Sharon has the 2nd-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharon | C− | $375K | $347K | 1.70% | $1,430 |
| Pomfret | – | $689K | $399K | 1.68% | $1,520 |
| Strafford | C | $394K | $431K | 1.66% | $1,520 |
| Royalton | C+ | $329K | $263K | 1.78% | $1,560 |
| Norwich | D | $804K | $638K | 1.57%+ | $1,400 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “+”: the Census reports the tax bill only as $10,000 or more, so the rate is at least that.
Questions about the cost of living in Sharon
Is Sharon expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Sharon costs more than 80% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living. The typical home costs 4.2 years of the median household income of the Lebanon-Claremont, NH-VT micro area ($83K).
How much does a house cost in Sharon?
About $375K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.0% in a year. The Vermont typical home is $392K.
What salary do you need to live in Sharon?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $107,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,500 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $57,000.
How much is rent in Sharon?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,430 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,386 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Sharon?
The median bill is $5,903 a year, 1.70% of the median home value (Vermont: $5,039, 1.59%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Sharon going up?
Yes: up 3.0% in the past year and 12.5% in five years, against 16.9% across Vermont (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Sharon buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.