Vermont's 9 Best Retirement Towns Ranked

Retiring to Vermont has several benefits, including unlimited access to a variety of state parks and plenty of outdoor activities on water and land. Enjoy the rolling hills of the Green Mountain State. Find plenty of locally sourced produce and a love for the environment. A number of tax exemptions are available for retirement income, and the state generally performs well in health care metrics. The overall crime rate is approximately 26% lower than the national average. The list of the nine best retirement towns in Vermont is ranked based on the cost of housing and available local amenities, including senior centers and health care facilities.

Newport

Retirees in Newport get the best of Vermont. The median home listing price is reasonable at about $325,000, according to Realtor.com. Health care options are locally available in town including the North Country Hospital, New London Hospital, and the Newport Health Center. Seniors can find recreation, community, games, meals, and educational opportunities at the Forever Young Club, where they meet weekly in the Community Room at the Newport Municipal Building.

Newport also sits on the southern shore of Lake Memphremagog and is only a few miles from the Canadian border of Quebec. Seniors can easily access lake activities, Prouty Beach, and local fishing for yellow perch, largemouth bass, and rainbow trout. Seniors may also like the local lake camping and its colorful sunsets. The lake also sponsors local activities year-round and free summer concerts. For hiking and biking enthusiasts, Newport offers access to several maintained paths including the Newport Bike Path and the Beebe Spur Rail Trail.

Seniors also have local access to the Goodrich Memorial Library, accessible parks, and a walkable downtown area. Retirees not interested in buying a home may consider two retirement communities in Newport, Newport Place and the Bel-Aire Center.

Springfield

Springfield Vermont has a median home price at a reasonable $229,000 as of March 2025. In addition, Springfield provides retirees access to two local health care options: Springfield Hospital and North Star Health. Springfield is located on the eastern side of Vermont on the banks of the Black and Connecticut Rivers.

Seniors have access to water activities on each river. Get outdoors in nature to walk, hike, or bike on the trails. Springfield offers an active Senior program that includes fitness classes, exercise options, art classes, social meetups, meal programs, and assistance.

Seniors will enjoy local access to the Okemo Mountain Resort, the American Precision Museum, and the unique Stellafane Park with its shrine to the stars. Retirees can participate in the local theatre group called the Springfield Community Players or see new movies at the local cinema. For seniors not interested in buying a home, Springfield offers retirement communities, including Brookwood Estates.

Bellows Falls

Bellows Falls offers retirees another reasonable median home price of $229,000 as of March 2025. Bellows Falls has a complete bus system and an active Amtrak Station for retirees who travel or need local transportation. Bellows Falls sits on the site of the first covered bridge over the Connecticut River known as the Hall Covered Bridge.

Seniors can access the Bellows Falls Senior Center for fitness and exercise options, recreational sports including Pickleball, and various other senior events. Outdoor lovers can find several hiking and biking trails within Bellows Falls including Herrick’s Cove. Seniors can find the Bellow Falls petroglyphs on the east side of Bellows Falls Island south of the Vilas Bridge.

Find various events at the Bellows Falls Opera House or go antiquing in a vibrant, walkable downtown area with museums and shops. In the summer, retirees take part in the Bellows Halls Festival with food trucks, vendors, and tons of local artisans and locally created libations.

Local health care includes an urgent care center and two independent medical groups. The nearest hospitals are the Springfield Hospital, Mt. Ascuntye Hospital in Windsor, and the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. For retirees looking for a retirement community, consider the Ascutney House, which has a solid reputation for outstanding staff.

Essex

Essex’s median home price is about $492,000, according to Realtor.com. Essex is seven miles outside the city of Burlington. Retirees can take advantage of the small-town community with easy access to the amenities of a larger city.

Essex supports a local senior center. Play pickleball, games, or participate in yoga or other fitness classes. There are also weekly and monthly events for seniors including meals, game nights, or local trips. Essex seniors also use a local cinema, the ArtHound Gallery, and the Maple Street Park and Pool facility. Essex is home to the annual Champlain Valley Exposition. The exposition hosts a variety of festivals, concerns, and a local fair environment.

Traveling seniors have local access to the Essex Amtrak Station. Essex is a stop on the Amtrak Vermonter and can take seniors from Essex to Washington DC. Essex offers two local health care options at the University of Vermont and the Community Health Center. Full-service hospital care can be found near Burlington. Senior living communities include The Residences at the Essex or Mansfield Place.

St. Albans

St. Albans Vermont has a moderately reasonable median home price of $275,000 as of March 2025. St. Albans is located on Lake Champlain in northern Vermont. Seniors have local access to all lake activities and amenities even if it's simply taking in the sunset or sunrise over the water. St. Albans hosts a weekly farmer’s market at the lake and a summer music series.

For active seniors St. Albans offers direct access to the 26-mile Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail within the Hard’ack Recreation area. Hard’ack Recreation Center enables seniors to swim year-round in an indoor pool and enjoy the community skiing hill. Seniors can take the Kill Kare State Park ferry and visit Burton Island for a picnic lunch or adventure day. The local Taylor Park in downtown St. Albans also offers seniors plenty of room to commune with nature, shop, and walk.

St. Albans retirees can also access the Franklin County Senior Center, which offers games, crafts, and community meals. Seniors can participate in sports teams, fitness classes, or educational courses. St. Albans is home to the Northwestern Medical Center for health care. Seniors looking for retirement communities can check out Homestead Senior Living.

St. Johnsbury

The median home price in St. Johnsbury is reasonable at $269,000. Seniors considering retiring in St. Johnsbury can expect to thrive at the Good Living Senior Center for recreational activities, sports, and exercise classes. The center also offers educational courses across a variety of subjects as well as special senior events. The center also provides daily hot lunches and a healthy salad bar.

St. Johnsbury offers a public library at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum with an active art gallery, and a History & Heritage Center at the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium. Watch a movie in a small-town movie theater at the Star Theatre. For dog lovers, check out the unique Dog Mountain Park dedicated to dogs. The park includes hiking trails, a dog chapel, and a Stephen Huneck Art Gallery.

Seniors looking for outdoor experiences will find the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail for walking, hiking, biking, and even snowshoeing in winter. Seniors can also choose to walk the St. Johnsbury Municipal Forest Trail that follows alongside the Moose River. The trailhead also offers picnic areas and benches.

Retirees can find local health care options at the St. Johnsbury Community Health Center or the Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. Retirement communities within the city include St. Johnsbury House Senior Living or the Canterbury Inn.

Colchester

Colchester, Vermont, has a higher median home price than other towns; Realtor.com lists it as about $500,000. Retirees interested in nature and outdoor activities will find a home in Colchester. Colchester has several trails in town including the Colchester Causeway Trail, Burns Trail, and the Muhley Island View Loop Trail. Colchester is also home to the Niquette Bay State Park. The park is located along the northeastern shore of Lake Champlain. Seniors can explore hundreds of miles of forest or partake in water activities at Lake Champlain.

Another option is to use the Sunset Drive-In Theatre and watch the latest movies while enjoying the outdoors. A visit to the restored Colchester Reef Lighthouse is always worth the time. The senior center is located at the Bayside Activity Center. Take part in a community event for seniors or get together with others for social events. The lakeside location makes the center perfect for many lake or water activities.

Local health care in Colchester exists at the Family Medicine Center. The nearest hospital is the University of Vermont Medical Center in Winooski. Likewise, the nearest senior living community close to Colchester is the Residence at Shelburne Bay located in Shelburne, Vermont.

Bennington

Bennington, Vermont, offers retirees a median home price of $235,000. Bennington is Vermont’s oldest official town and has the state’s tallest structure with the spear at the Bennington Battle Monument. The monument commemorates the role Bennington played in the Revolutionary War. Bennington is also home to the Robert Frost Stone House Museum, several covered bridges, and an active downtown area with a local theatre group.

For seniors who like to travel locally, Bennington offers the William H Morse State Airport, taxi and ride services, and bus service. The local senior center offers retirees numerous community events, shared meals, game nights, and access to various exercise and fitness options. Seniors looking for trails will find the Molly Stark Trail and the White Rocks Trail meets most needs. Retirees enjoy Bennington significantly when it transforms into Garlic Town USA every Labor Day weekend. The Garlic Town festival includes free concerts, beer, food trucks, and vendors to honor Vermont’s garlic farmers.

Woodstock

Although it’s listed last, Woodstock has plenty to offer retirees. Woodstock is last because the median home price in March 2025 is 1.1 million dollars. Retirees able to afford the higher home cost will find Woodstock is a classic New England town with beautiful old churches and classic New England architecture. The town also features the Woodstock Town Hall Theatre to provide cultural experiences.

Woodstock seniors use the Thompson Senior Center to engage in events, classes, trips, meals, and transportation. Seniors can also file for several assistance programs. Tourists flock to Woodstock every fall at the Harvest Festival. Woodstock sits near the Ottaquechee River and has several walkable historic covered bridges. Retirees looking for trails and nature access can visit the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, the Faulkner Park, and the Mt. Peg Trails system. Seniors looking for a retirement community should check out Senior Living at Canterbury Inn.

Retiring in Vermont is a fulfilling experience for many retirees looking for a quiet and vibrant retirement destination. All the towns listed in this ranking of the nine best retirement towns in Vermont are exceptional cities with natural charm and beauty and plenty of senior services. Select the town that meets the needed price range and what activities each retiree wants. When looking for reasonably priced cities in Vermont for retirees, check out our list based on median home pricing and the presence of local health care options.