Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. South Burlington grades B overall, 26th of 71 graded towns in Vermont. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates. Its public schools beat 90% of Vermont towns on state tests and graduation and the median household earns $107K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $477K for a typical one and 5.1 times the Burlington metro’s $93K median household income. South Burlington’s rate of thefts and burglaries is 46.4 per 1,000 residents, against 13.6 in Vermont’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Only 1 of Vermont’s 172 towns score higher on hazard risk. South Burlington is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 92% of U.S. towns.
Where South Burlington beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | South Burlington | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.5% | 10.1% |
17,904 counted in 2010 and 20,292 in 2020; an estimated 21,394 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 5.8% since 2020, after 13.3% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Vermont), ordered by how far South Burlington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 65 in 1800, 20,292 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 5 maps from 1906 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Burlington. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi LakeLake Champlain
20 mi MountainMount Mansfield
5 mi MuseumShelburne Museum
36 mi MountainWhiteface Mountain
20 mi Ski areaStowe Mountain Resort144 runs · 2,390 ft vertical
15 mi Canyon & gorgeAusable ChasmLake Champlain: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Mount Mansfield: Original uploader was Calzarette (Joe Calzarette) at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Shelburne Museum: Storylanding, CC0 · Whiteface Mountain: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Stowe Mountain Resort: Stevage, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ausable Chasm: Alan Prusila / Alanp35 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Burlington, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in South Burlington.
South Burlington draws workers from Burlington and beyond, gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and has less tooth loss than most of Vermont.
The trail network density in South Burlington is 1.3 miles per square mile. Trails total 41 miles in 14 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Red Rocks Park, 104 acres with 3.2 miles of trail. Among 71 Vermont towns, just 6 have a lower share of conserved land than South Burlington.
| South Burlington | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 14% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Red Rocks Park | 3.2 mi | 104 |
| 2. Wheeler Nature Park | 3 mi | 100 |
| 3. Centennial Woods Natural Area | 1.2 mi | 63 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
That grade comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $477K.
Three of the 8 schools are below, and why each made the list. The public schools here belong to the South Burlington School District. Public school enrollment here: 1,835 students across 4 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick H. Tuttle Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 565 | B+ |
| South Burlington High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 793 | A |
| Orchard SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 402 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VT on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Vermont is tooth loss: 5.5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.1% statewide.
Among 71 Vermont towns, just 6 have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than South Burlington. For adults here, the share who have high blood pressure is 26%.
| South Burlington | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 30% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 30% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 19% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.4% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | South Burlington | VT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.5% | 10.1% |
| Fewer smokers | 7.4% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
18,213 jobs are based in South Burlington, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Among working residents in South Burlington, 22% work locally. Half the trips to work are shorter than 3 miles. For South Burlington, the average commute is 18 minutes. The town had 18,213 jobs in 2023, up 1,669 from 2013.
| South Burlington | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 16% | 8% |
| Work from home | 20% | 15% | 11% |
| Median household income | $107,000 | $80,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Property crime runs at 46.4 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the Vermont rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 1,180 to 1,077 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
South Burlington’s violent crime rate is 2.3 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Paid flood insurance claims in South Burlington since 2011: 3. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 68% come from inland flooding and 9% from earthquakes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in South Burlington after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In South Burlington, 62% of households own their home. Among 68 Vermont towns, just one has a higher going rate for rent than South Burlington. The typical home value here is about $477,000, down 1% in a year, 22% above the Vermont typical home. A home in South Burlington typically sold within 20 days of listing.
| South Burlington | Vermont towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,787 a month | $1,133 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Burlington Intl Ap weather station records that 88 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. The Burlington Intl Ap weather station records that about 8 days a year reach 90°: fewer than most of the country, but more than 90% of Vermont places with climate records.
July afternoons reach 81° and January nights drop to 10°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
3 within 15 miles of the center of South Burlington
About 7 of every 100 South Burlington residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Vermont.
Where South Burlington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 notable people were born in South Burlington.
City in Vermont, United States
South Burlington is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Along with neighboring Burlington, it is a principal city of the Burlington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 20,292, making it the second-most populous city in Vermont after Burlington. It is home to the headquarters of Ben & Jerry's and the state of Vermont's largest mall, the University Mall.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
9 towns share a border with South Burlington.
| Town | VT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Burlington | #26 | B | D | D | A | A+ |
| Williston | #25 | B | D | D | A+ | A+ |
| Burlington | #43 | C+ | D | D− | B+ | A |
| Essex Junction | #5 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Essex | #13 | A− | D | B− | A | A+ |
| Colchester | #16 | A− | C− | C+ | A | A |
| Shelburne | #9 | A− | D | B− | A+ | A+ |
| Winooski | #61 | C− | D | C− | D− | A |
Essex Junction reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare South Burlington with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. South Burlington grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #26 of 71 in Vermont. It grades A+ for health, D for safety and A for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
5 notable people were born here, including Kerstin Anderson and Ben Shungu.
