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Vermont

Vermont (/vərˈmɒnt/ (listen))[7] is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. Admitted to the union in 1791 as the 14th state, it is the only state in New England not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the state has a population of 643,503,[4] ranking it the second least-populated in the U.S. after Wyoming. It is also the nation's sixth-smallest state in area. The state's capital Montpelier is the least-populous state capital in the U.S., while its most-populous city, Burlington, is the least-populous to be a state's largest.

Vermont
State of Vermont
Nickname
The Green Mountain State
Motto(s)
Freedom and Unity and Stella quarta decima fulgeat (May the 14th star shine bright)
Anthem: These Green Mountains
Map of the United States with Vermont highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodVermont Republic
Admitted to the UnionMarch 4, 1791 (14th)
CapitalMontpelier
Largest cityBurlington
Largest metro and urban areasBurlington
Government
 • GovernorPhil Scott (R)
 • Lieutenant GovernorDavid Zuckerman (P)
LegislatureGeneral Assembly
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
JudiciaryVermont Supreme Court
U.S. senatorsBernie Sanders (I)
Peter Welch (D)
U.S. House delegationBecca Balint (D) (list)
Area
 • Total9,616 sq mi (24,923 km2)
 • Land9,250 sq mi (23,957.39 km2)
 • Water382 sq mi (989 km2)  4.1%
 • Rank45th
Dimensions
 • Length160 mi (260 km)
 • Width80 mi (130 km)
Elevation
1,000 ft (300 m)
Highest elevation4,395 ft (1,340 m)
Lowest elevation95 to 100 ft (29 to 30 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total643,503[4]
 • Rank49th
 • Density67.7/sq mi (26.1/km2)
  • Rank30th
 • Median household income
$57,513[5]
 • Income rank
26th
DemonymVermonter
Language
 • Official languageNone (English, de facto)
Time zoneUTC– 05:00 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC– 04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation
VT
ISO 3166 codeUS-VT
Traditional abbreviationVt.
Latitude42°44′ N to 45°1′ N
Longitude71°28′ W to 73°26′ W
Websitewww.vermont.gov

For some 12,000 years, indigenous peoples have inhabited this area. The competitive tribes of the Algonquian-speaking Abenaki and Iroquoian-speaking Mohawk were active in the area at the time of European encounter. During the 17th century, French colonists claimed the territory as part of the Kingdom of France's colony of New France. After the Kingdom of Great Britain began to settle colonies to the south along the Atlantic coast, the two nations competed in North America in addition to Europe. After being defeated in 1763 in the Seven Years' War, France ceded its territory east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain.

Thereafter, the nearby British Thirteen Colonies, especially the provinces of New Hampshire and New York, disputed the extent of the area called the New Hampshire Grants to the west of the Connecticut River, encompassing present-day Vermont. The provincial government of New York sold land grants to settlers in the region, which conflicted with earlier grants from the government of New Hampshire. The Green Mountain Boys militia protected the interests of the established New Hampshire land grant settlers against the newly arrived settlers with land titles granted by New York. Ultimately, a group of settlers with New Hampshire land grant titles established the Vermont Republic in 1777 as an independent state during the American Revolutionary War. The Vermont Republic abolished slavery before any of the other states.[8][9]

During the mid-19th century, Vermont was a strong source of abolitionist sentiment, although it was also tied to King Cotton through the development of textile mills in the region, which relied on southern cotton. It sent a significant contingent of soldiers to participate in the American Civil War.

The geography of the state is marked by the Green Mountains, which run north–south up the middle of the state, separating Lake Champlain and other valley terrain on the west from the Connecticut River valley that defines much of its eastern border. A majority of its terrain is forested with hardwoods and conifers, and a majority of its open land is devoted to agriculture. The state's climate is characterized by warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters.

Vermont's economic activity of $34 billion in 2018 ranked last on the list of U.S. states and territories by GDP but 34th in GDP per capita. In 2000, the state legislature was the first to recognize civil unions for same-sex couples. As of 2014, the state ranked 14th on the American Human Development Index.[10]

Etymology

Samuel de Champlain claimed the area around what is now Lake Champlain, giving the name Vert Mont (Green Mountain) to the region he found, on a 1647 map.[11] Evidence suggests that this name came into use among English settlers, before it morphed to "Vermont", ca. 1760.[12][13] In 1777, Thomas Young introduced the name in writing with a broadside "To the Inhabitants of Vermont, a Free and Independent State".[12]

History

Native American

Between 8500 and 7000 BCE, at the time of the Champlain Sea, Native Americans inhabited and hunted in present-day Vermont. During the Archaic period, from the 8th millennium BCE to 1000 BCE, Native Americans migrated year-round. During the Woodland period, from 1000 BCE to 1600 CE, they established villages and trade networks, and developed ceramic and bow and arrow technology. Their population in 1500 CE was estimated to be around 10,000 people.[14]

During colonial times, where encounters and settlement were initiated by French colonists, the territory was occupied mainly by an Abenaki tribe known as the Sokoki, or Missisquois. The eastern part of the state may have also been occupied by the Androscoggin and Pennacook peoples.[14]

To the west, the Missisquois competed with the Iroquoian Mohawk, based in the Mohawk valley but with a large territory, and the Algonquin Mohican peoples.[14] Many of the tribes later formed the Wabanaki Confederacy during King Philip's War. The warfare by English colonists defeated and scattered most of the surviving Abenaki tribes.[15]

Colonial

 
The Old Constitution House at Windsor, where the Constitution of Vermont was adopted on July 8, 1777
 
A circa 1775 flag used by the Green Mountain Boys

The first European to see Vermont is thought to have been French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1535. On July 30, 1609, French explorer Samuel de Champlain claimed this territory as part of New France. In 1666, French settlers erected Fort Sainte Anne on Isle La Motte,[16] the first European settlement in Vermont.

The "violent" 1638 New Hampshire earthquake was centered in the St. Lawrence Valley and reported throughout New England. This was the first seismic event noted in Vermont.[17] In 1690, a group of Dutch-British settlers from Albany established a settlement and trading post at Chimney Point, 8 miles (13 km) west of present-day Addison.[citation needed] During Dummer's War, the first permanent English settlement was established in 1724 with the construction of Fort Dummer. It was intended to protect the nearby settlements of Dummerston and Brattleboro.[18]

From 1731 to 1734, the French constructed Fort St. Frédéric, which gave them control of the New France–Vermont frontier region in the Lake Champlain Valley. With the outbreak of the French and Indian War in 1754, the North American front of the Seven Years' War between the French and British, the French began construction in 1755 of Fort Carillon at present-day Ticonderoga, New York. The British failed to take either fort between 1755 and 1758. In 1759, a combined force of 12,000 British regular and provincial troops under Sir Jeffery Amherst captured Carillon in the Battle of Ticonderoga, after which the French abandoned Fort St. Frédéric. Amherst constructed Fort Crown Point next to the remains of the Fort St. Frédéric, securing British control over the area.[citation needed]

Following France's loss in the French and Indian War, through the 1763 Treaty of Paris, it ceded control of land east of the Mississippi River to the British. The Crown attempted to limit colonial settlement to lands east of the Appalachians, in order to prohibit encroachment on Native American lands. The territory of Vermont was divided nearly in half in a jagged line running from Fort William Henry in Lake George diagonally north-eastward to Lake Memphremagog.[citation needed] With the end of the war, new settlers arrived in Vermont. Ultimately, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York all claimed this frontier area.[19]

On July 20, 1764, King George III established the boundary between New Hampshire and New York along the west bank of the Connecticut River, north of Massachusetts, and south of 45 degrees north latitude.[20] New York refused to recognize the land titles known as the New Hampshire Grants (towns created by land grants sold by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth) and dissatisfied New Hampshire settlers organized in opposition. In 1770, Ethan Allen, his brothers Ira and Levi, and the Allens' cousins Seth Warner and Remember Baker, recruited an informal militia known as the Green Mountain Boys to protect the interests of the original New Hampshire settlers against newcomers from New York.[citation needed]

In 1775, after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, the Green Mountain Boys assisted a force from Connecticut, led by Benedict Arnold, in capturing the British fort at Ticonderoga. Thereafter, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia directed the New York colony's revolutionary congress to fund and equip Allen's militia as a ranger regiment of the Continental Army, which it did. Seth Warner was chosen by the men of the regiment to lead, while Ethan Allen later served as a colonel in Schuyler's Army of Northern New York.[21]

Sovereignty

On January 15, 1777, representatives of the New Hampshire Grants declared the independence of Vermont.[22] For the first six months of its existence, it was called the Republic of New Connecticut.[23]

On June 2, 1777, a second convention of 72 delegates met and adopted the name "Vermont". This was on the advice of a friendly Pennsylvanian, Dr. Thomas Young, friend and mentor of Ethan Allen. He was advising them on how to achieve admission into the newly independent United States of America as the 14th state.[23] On July 4, they completed the drafting of the Constitution of Vermont at the Windsor Tavern, and adopted it on July 8. This was the first written constitution in North America to ban adult slavery,[24] saying male slaves become free at the age of 21 and females at 18. It provided for universal adult male suffrage and required support of public schools. It was in effect from 1777 to 1786.[25]

Revolutionary War

The Battle of Bennington, fought on August 16, 1777, was a seminal event in the history of the state of Vermont and the United States. A combined American force, under General John Stark's command, attacked the Hessian column at Hoosick, New York, just across the border from Bennington. It killed or captured virtually the entire Hessian detachment. General Burgoyne never recovered from this loss and eventually surrendered the remainder of his 6,000-man force at Saratoga, New York, on October 17 that year.[26]

The battles of Bennington and Saratoga together are recognized as the turning point in the Revolutionary War because they were the first major defeat of a British army. The anniversary of the battle is still celebrated in Vermont as a legal holiday.

The Battle of Hubbardton (July 7, 1777) was the only Revolutionary battle within the present boundaries of Vermont. Although the Continental forces were technically defeated, the British forces were damaged to the point that they did not pursue the Americans (retreating from Fort Ticonderoga) any further.

Admission to the Union

 
1791 Act of Congress admitting Vermont into the Union

Vermont continued to govern itself as a sovereign entity based in the eastern town of Windsor for 14 years. The independent state of Vermont issued its own coinage from 1785 to 1788[27] and operated a national postal service. Thomas Chittenden was the Governor in 1778–89 and in 1790–91.

Because the state of New York continued to assert a disputed claim that Vermont was a part of New York, Vermont could not be admitted to the Union under Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution until the legislature of New York consented. On March 6, 1790, the legislature made its consent contingent upon a negotiated agreement on the precise boundary between the two states. When commissioners from New York and Vermont met to decide on the boundary, Vermont's negotiators insisted on also settling the property ownership disputes with New Yorkers, rather than leaving that to be decided later in a federal court.[28] The negotiations were successfully concluded in October 1790 with an agreement that Vermont would pay $30,000 to New York to be distributed among New Yorkers who claimed land in Vermont under New York land patents.[29] In January 1791, a convention in Vermont voted 105–4[30] to petition Congress to become a state in the federal union. Congress acted on February 18, 1791, to admit Vermont to the Union as the 14th state as of March 4, 1791.[31] Vermont became the first state to enter the Union after the original 13 states.

The revised constitution of 1786, which established a greater separation of powers, continued in effect until 1793, two years after Vermont's admission to the Union.

Under the Act "To Secure Freedom to All Persons Within This State,"[32] slavery was officially banned by state law on November 25, 1858, less than three years before the American Civil War.[33][34][35] Vermonters provided refuge in several sites for escaped slaves, fleeing to Canada, as part of what was called the Underground Railroad.[36]

Civil War

 
Vermont in 1827. The county boundaries have since changed.

From the mid-1850s on, some Vermonters became activists opposing slavery, which they had previously worked to contain in the South. Abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens was born in Vermont and later represented a district in Pennsylvania in Congress. He developed as a national leader and later promoted Radical Republican goals after the American Civil War. While the Whig Party shriveled, and the Republican Party emerged, Vermont supported Republican candidates. In 1860, it voted for Abraham Lincoln, giving him the largest margin of victory of any state.[37]

During the American Civil War, Vermont sent 33,288 men into United States service. 5,224 Vermonters (more than 15 percent) were killed.[38]

The northernmost land action of the war was the St. Albans Raid—the robbery of three St. Albans banks, perpetrated in October 1864 by 21 Confederate agents. A posse pursued the Confederate raiders into Canada and captured several of them. They had to turn their captives over to Canadian officials. Canada reimbursed the banks, released, and later re-arrested some of the perpetrators.[39][40]

Postbellum era to present

Demographic changes and rise of eugenics in 20th century

As English speakers came to dominate the population in Vermont, they anglicized the names of many ethnic French residents and often discriminated against them. In the mid-20th century, descendants began to reclaim their French names, especially surnames.

Beginning in the mid-19th century, Vermont industries attracted numerous Irish, Scots-Irish and Italian immigrants, adding to its residents of mostly English and some French-Canadian ancestry. Many of the immigrants migrated to Barre, where the men worked as stonecutters of granite, for which there was a national market. Vermont granite was used in major public buildings in many states.

In this period, many Italian and Scottish women operated boarding houses to support their families. Such facilities also helped absorb new residents and help them learn the new culture; European immigrants peaked in number between 1890 and 1900. Typically immigrants boarded with people of their own language and ethnicity, but sometimes they boarded with others.[41]

Gradually the new immigrants were absorbed into the state. Times of tension aroused divisions. In the early 20th century, some people in Vermont became alarmed about what they considered to be a decline in rural areas; people left farming to move to cities and others seemed unable to fit within society. In addition, there was a wave of immigration by French Canadians, and Protestant Anglo-Americans feared being overtaken by the new immigrants, who added to the Catholic population of Irish and Italians. Based on the colonial past, some Yankee residents considered the French Canadians to have intermarried too frequently with Native Americans.[42]

In an era influenced by ideas of Social Darwinism, some Vermont leaders promoted eugenics, an idea that the population could be managed and improved by limiting marriage and reproduction by certain members classified as unfit or defective. It passed a marriage law, to limit marriage by people considered unfit. In 1915, the Brandon State School opened, the beginning of a related effort to segregate and control those judged unfit to reproduce.[42]

The state followed efforts to improve children's welfare by establishing other institutions to house the mentally ill or disabled. From 1925 to 1928 the Eugenics Survey of Vermont conducted research and recorded the histories of families it determined were degenerate or dependent. It also attempted to educate the public about why restrictive measures, including voluntary sterilization, were desirable. Review by current historians reveals the results were socially prejudiced, as the surveys tended to target the poor and disenfranchised minorities, including French Canadians, Abenaki, and disabled.[42]

In 1931, Vermont was the 29th state to pass a eugenics law. Vermont like other states, sterilized some patients in institutions and persons it had identified through surveys as degenerate or unfit. It nominally had permission from the patients or their guardians, but abuses have been documented. Two-thirds of the sterilizations were done on women, and poor, unwed mothers were targeted, among others. The surgery was performed at institutions and hospitals in the state supposedly devoted to care of people in need. There is disagreement about how many sterilizations were performed; most were completed from 1931 to 1941, but such procedures were recorded as late as 1970.[42]

Political changes

Vermont approved women's suffrage decades before it became part of the national constitution. Women were first allowed to vote in the elections of December 18, 1880, when women were granted limited suffrage. They were first allowed to vote in town elections, and later in state legislative races.

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Reynolds v. Sims required "one man, one vote" redistricting in all states. It had found that many state legislatures had not redistricted and were unjustly dominated by rural interests, years after the development of densely populated and industrial urban areas. In addition, it found that many states had an upper house based on geographical jurisdictions, such as counties. This gave disproportionate power to rural and lightly populated counties. The court ruled there was no basis for such a structure. Major changes in political apportionment took place in Vermont and other affected states.

This ruling required districts to be reassessed after every census and to be based on roughly equal population, rather than geography (such as counties). Under redistricting, residents in urban areas were to gain an equitable share of apportionment in both houses in every state. Vermont and some other northern states had long been dominated by rural districts, as were several Southern states in those years, who had not redistricted since the turn of the century.[43] Until that time, apportionment of upper houses was often based on county jurisdictions, which had given more power to rural counties and failed to acknowledge the increased population in urban areas. This arrangement had meant that urban areas did not have proportionate political power and often suffered from underinvestment in needed infrastructure; other urban issues were also neglected by rural-dominated legislatures.[43]

In July 2000, Vermont became the first state to introduce civil unions.

In 2009, Vermont became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, unforced by court challenge or ruling.[44]

In 2002, the State of Vermont reported that the Abenaki people had migrated north to Quebec by the end of the 17th century;[45] however, in 2011, the State of Vermont designated the Elnu Abenaki Tribe and the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation as state-recognized tribes; in 2012 it recognized the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi and the Koasek Traditional Band of the Koos Abenaki Nation. In 2016, the state governor proclaimed Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day.[46] Vermont has no federally recognized tribes.[47]

On January 22, 2018, Vermont became the first of the United States to legalize cannabis for recreational use by legislative action, and the ninth state in the United States to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. This law was signed by Republican Governor Phil Scott.[48]

Geography

 
Map of Vermont showing cities, roads, and rivers
 
Population density of Vermont
 
Western face of Camel's Hump Mountain (elevation 4,079 feet (1,243 m)).[49]

Vermont is located in the New England region of the northeastern United States and comprises 9,614 square miles (24,900 km2), making it the 45th-largest state. It is the only state that does not have any buildings taller than 124 feet (38 m).[50] Land comprises 9,250 square miles (24,000 km2) and water comprises 365 square miles (950 km2), making it the 43rd-largest in land area and the 47th in water area. In total area, it is larger than El Salvador and smaller than Haiti. It is the only landlocked state in New England, and it is the easternmost and the smallest in area of all landlocked states.

The Green Mountains in Vermont form a north–south spine running most of the length of the state, slightly west of its center. In the southwest portion of the state are located the Taconic Mountains.[51] In the northwest, near Lake Champlain, is the fertile Champlain Valley. In the south of the valley is Lake Bomoseen.

The west bank of the Connecticut River marks the state's eastern border with New Hampshire, though much of the river flows within New Hampshire's territory.[52] 41% of Vermont's land area is part of the Connecticut River's watershed.[53]

Lake Champlain, the sixth-largest body of fresh water in the United States, separates Vermont from New York in the northwest portion of the state. From north to south, Vermont is 159 miles (256 km) long. Its greatest width, from east to west, is 89 miles (143 km) at the Canada–U.S. border; the narrowest width is 37 miles (60 km) near the Massachusetts border. The width averages 60.5 miles (97.4 km). The state's geographic center is approximately three miles (5 km) east of Roxbury, in Washington County. There are fifteen U.S. federal border crossings between Vermont and Canada.

Several mountains have timberlines with delicate year-round alpine ecosystems, including Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in the state; Killington Peak, the second-highest; Camel's Hump, the state's third-highest; and Mount Abraham, the fifth-highest peak.[54] Areas in Vermont administered by the National Park Service include the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (in Woodstock) and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.[55]

The topography and climate make sections of Vermont subject to large-scale flooding. Incidents include the Great Vermont Flood of 1927, which killed 84 and damaged much of the state's infrastructure,[56] the flood of 1973, which covered many of the state's roads in the southeast,[57] and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, which caused substantial damage throughout the state.[58] In response to the 1927 flood, the Federal government funded construction of six flood control dams in the state, run by the Army Corps of Engineers.[59] These extreme rain and flooding events are expected to get worse with climate change.[60]

Cities

Vermont has ten incorporated cities.

City populations (2020 census)
City Population
Burlington
44,743
South Burlington
20,292
Rutland
15,807
Essex Junction
10,761
Barre
8,491
Montpelier
8,074
Winooski
7,997
St. Albans
6,877
Newport
4,455
Vergennes
2,553

The most populous city in Vermont is Burlington. Its metropolitan area is also the most populous in the state, with an estimate of 225,562 as of 2020.

Largest towns

Although these towns are large enough to be considered cities, they are not incorporated as such.

Large town populations (2020 census)
Town Population
Essex
22,094
Colchester
17,524
Bennington
15,333
Brattleboro
12,184
Milton
10,723
Hartford
10,686
Williston
10,103
Middlebury
9,152
Springfield
9,062
Barre
7,923
Shelburne
7,717
St. Johnsbury
7,364

Climate

 
Köppen climate types of Vermont, using 1991–2020 climate normals.

The annual mean temperature for the state is 43 °F (6 °C).[61] Vermont has a humid continental climate, with muddy springs, in general a mild early summer, hot Augusts; it has colorful autumns: Vermont's hills reveal red, orange, and (on sugar maples) gold foliage as cold weather approaches.[62] Winters are colder at higher elevations.[63] It has a Köppen climate classification of Dfb, a temperate continental climate.[64]

The rural northeastern section known as the "Northeast Kingdom" often averages 10 °F (5.6 °C) colder than the southern areas of the state during winter. The annual snowfall averages between 60 and 100 inches (1,500 and 2,500 mm) depending on elevation. Vermont is the seventh coldest state in the country.[65]

The highest recorded temperature was 105 °F (41 °C), at Vernon, on July 4, 1911. The lowest recorded temperature was −50 °F (−46 °C), at Bloomfield, on December 30, 1933; this is the lowest temperature recorded in New England alongside Big Black River, which recorded a verified −50 °F (−46 °C) in 2009.[a][66] The agricultural growing season ranges from 120 to 180 days.[67] The United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones for the state range between zone 3b, no colder than −35 °F (−37 °C), in the Northeast Kingdom and northern part of the state and zone 5b, no colder than −15 °F (−26 °C), in the southern part of the state.[68] The state receives between 2,200 and 2,400 hours of sunshine annually. New England as a whole receives a range of less than 2,000 hours of sunshine in part of New Hampshire to as much as 2,600 hours of sunshine per year in Connecticut and Rhode Island.[69]

Climate change

Climate change in Vermont encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of Vermont.

The state is already seeing effects of climate change that affect its ecosystems, economy and public health. According to the Vermont state government, rainfall has significantly increased in the last 50 years, storms and flooding have increased, and winters have become warmer and shorter.[70] These changes have led to significant impacts on both the winter tourism industry,[71] and a decline in critical agricultural and woodland industries like maple sugaring.[72]

The state openly acknowledges and is developing programs that respond to global warming.[73] Vermont was one of the first states in the United States to adopt greenhouse gas emissions goals in 2006.

Geology

 
Silurian and Devonian stratigraphy of Vermont

There are five distinct physiographic regions of Vermont.[74] Categorized by geological and physical attributes, they are the Northeastern Highlands, the Green Mountains, the Taconic Mountains, the Champlain Lowlands, and the Vermont Piedmont.[75]

About 500 million years ago, Vermont was part of Laurentia and located in the tropics.[76] The central and southern Green Mountain range include the oldest rocks in Vermont, formed about one billion years ago during the first mountain building period (or orogeny). Subsequently, about 400 million years ago, the second mountain building period created Green Mountain peaks that were 15,000–20,000 feet (4,600–6,100 m) tall, three to four times their current height and comparable to the Himalayas. The geological pressures that created those peaks remain evident as the Champlain Thrust, running north–south to the west of the mountains (now the eastern shore of Lake Champlain). It is an example of geological fault thrusting where bedrock is pushed over the newer rock formation.

As a result of tectonic formation, Vermont east of the Green Mountains tends to be formed from rocks produced in the Silurian and Devonian periods, and western Vermont mainly from the older Pre-Cambrian and Cambrian material.[77] Several large deposits within the state contain granite.[78] The remains of the Chazy Formation can be observed in Isle La Motte. It was one of the first tropical reefs. It is the site of the limestone Fisk Quarry, which contains a collection of ancient marine fossils, such as stromatoporoids, that date to 200 million years ago. At one point, Vermont is believed to have been connected to Africa (Pangaea); the fossils found and the rock formations found on the coasts in both Africa and America are evidence affirming the Pangaea theory.[79][80][81]

In the past four centuries, Vermont has experienced a few earthquakes, rarely centered under the state. The highest ranked, in 1952, had a Richter magnitude scale 6.0 and was based in Canada.[17]

Fauna

 
The hermit thrush, the state bird of Vermont

The state contains 41 species of reptiles and amphibians (including the spring peeper), 89 species of fish, of which 12 are non native;[82] 193 species of breeding birds, 58 species of mammals (including black bears, eastern chipmunks, coyotes, fishers, red and gray foxes, porcupines, and woodchucks), more than 15,000 insect species (including luna moths), and 2,000 higher plant species, plus fungi, algae, and 75 different types of natural communities.[83] Vermont contains one species of venomous snake, the timber rattlesnake, which is confined to a few acres in western Rutland County.[84]

Wildlife has suffered because of human development of the state. By the mid-19th century, wild turkeys were exterminated in the state through overhunting and destruction of habitat. Sixteen were re-introduced in 1969, and had grown to a flock estimated to number 45,000 in 2009.[85] In 2013, hunters killed 6,968 of these.[86] Since 1970, reduction of farmland has resulted in reduced environment for, and resulted in a decline in numbers of various shrubland birds, including the American woodcock, brown thrasher, eastern towhee, willow flycatcher, golden-winged warbler, blue-winged warbler, field sparrow, and Baltimore oriole.[87] Ospreys, whose eggs were previously damaged by DDT, began to reappear in 1998 and by 2010 were no longer endangered in the state.[88]

Several species have declined or disappeared from the state, including bats, many of which have been killed by white-nose syndrome,[89] the New England cottontail, out-competed by the eastern cottontail rabbit,[90] and the yellow-banded bumblebee, gone as one of 19 species of bee in decline.[91][92]

Invasive species and organisms include the Asian spotted-wing drosophila, a destroyer of crops,[93] and eastern equine encephalitis virus whose antibodies were found in moose or deer in each of Vermont's counties.[94]

Flora

Vermont is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome. Much of the state, in particular the Green Mountains, is covered by the conifers and northern hardwoods of the New England-Acadian forests. The western border with New York and the area around Lake Champlain lies within the Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests. The southwest corner of the state and parts of the Connecticut River are covered by northeastern coastal forests of mixed oak.[95]

Invasive wild honeysuckle has been deemed a threat to the state's forests, native species of plants, and wildlife.[96] Many of Vermont's rivers, including the Winooski River, have been subjected to man-made barriers to prevent flooding.[citation needed]

Climate change appears to be affecting the maple sugar industry. Sugar maples have been subject to stress by acid rain, asian longhorn beetles, and pear thrips. In 2011, the deer herd had grown too large for habitat, and many resorted to eating bark to survive the winter, destroying trees in the process. In addition, the sugar maples need a certain period of cold to produce sap for maple syrup. The time to tap these trees has shrunk to one week in some years. The tree may be replaced by the more aggressive Norway maples, in effect forcing the sugar maples to "migrate" north to Canada.[97]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
179085,425
1800154,46580.8%
1810217,89541.1%
1820235,9818.3%
1830280,65218.9%
1840291,9484.0%
1850314,1207.6%
1860315,0980.3%
1870330,5514.9%
1880332,2860.5%
1890332,4220.0%
1900343,6413.4%
1910355,9563.6%
1920352,428−1.0%
1930359,6112.0%
1940359,231−0.1%
1950377,7475.2%
1960389,8813.2%
1970444,33014.0%
1980511,45615.1%
1990562,75810.0%
2000608,8278.2%
2010625,7412.8%
2020643,0772.8%
2022 (est.)647,0640.6%
Source: 1910–2020[98]

Population

According to the United States Census Bureau, the state of Vermont had a population of 643,503 in the 2020 U.S. census.[4] At the July 1, 2019 Population Estimates Program, Vermont had an estimated population of 623,989.[99] This included a natural increase of 3,178 (31,716 births minus 28,538 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 2,432 people out of the state.[100] In 2006, it had the second lowest birthrate in the nation, 42/1000 women.[101] The center of population of Vermont is located in Washington County, in the town of Warren.[102]

As of 2014, 51.3% of Vermont's population was born in the state (compared with 58.7% for the United States).[103] The changing demographics between those with multi-generational ties to the state and those who are newcomers, bringing different values with them, has resulted in a degree of tension between the two perspectives. This tension is expressed in the terms, "Woodchuck", being applied to those established in the state, and "Flatlander", applied to the newcomers.[104] Vermont is the least populous New England state. As of 2012, Vermont was one of only two states in the U.S. with fewer people than the District of Columbia (Wyoming was the other).[105]

From 2010 to 2013, 16 out of Vermont's 251 towns experienced an increase in population. All towns in Chittenden increased with the exception of Burlington. More than 180 towns experienced a decrease, which had not happened since the mid-19th century.[106]

As of 2010, Vermont was the second most rural state in the country, following Maine, with 61% of the population living in rural areas.[107]

Birth data

Note: Births in table do not add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.

Live births by single race/ethnicity of mother
Race 2013[108] 2014[109] 2015[110] 2016[111] 2017[112] 2018[113] 2019[114] 2020[115]
White: 5,696 (95.3%) 5,825 (95.0%) 5,554 (94.1%) ... ... ... ... ...
> non-Hispanic White 5,597 (93.7%) 5,724 (93.4%) 5,370 (91.0%) 5,208 (90.5%) 5,134 (90.8%) 4,934 (90.8%) 4,856 (90.6%) 4,646 (90.5%)
Asian 153 (2.6%) 163 (2.7%) 175 (3.0%) 154 (2.7%) 159 (2.8%) 152 (2.8%) 122 (2.3%) 137 (2.7%)
Black 115 (1.9%) 126 (2.1%) 149 (2.5%) 70 (1.2%) 115 (2.0%) 118 (2.2%) 133 (2.5%) 108 (2.1%)
American Indian 11 (0.2%) 16 (0.3%) 25 (0.4%) 11 (0.2%) 16 (0.3%) 12 (0.2%) 11 (0.2%) 15 (0.3%)
Hispanic (of any race) 92 (1.5%) 92 (1.5%) 139 (2.3%) 136 (2.3%) 123 (2.2%) 121 (2.2%) 124 (2.3%) 132 (2.6%)
Total Vermont 5,975 (100%) 6,130 (100%) 5,903 (100%) 5,756 (100%) 5,655 (100%) 5,432 (100%) 5,361 (100%) 5,133 (100%)
  • Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

Of the population, 94.3% of the state identified as white not of Hispanic or Latino origin in a 2013 U.S. census estimate.[116] As of the 2010 census, Vermont was the second-whitest state in the U.S. after Maine.[117] It has the smallest number of Hispanics of any state in the country but not the lowest percentage of Hispanics, which is found in West Virginia.[118]

In 2009, 12.6% of people over 15 were divorced. This was the fifth highest percentage in the nation.[119] As of 2008, the median age of Vermonters was 40.6 and that of the work force was 43.7, compared with the national average of 41.1 years.[120]

Vermont leads U.S. states with the highest rates of LGBT identification, at 5.3%.[121] Its LGBT population density is second in the U.S. only to the District of Columbia.[121]

Following national trends for opioid use, people seeking treatment for opioid addiction in Vermont increased from 650 in 2011 to 7,500 in 2016.[122]

Dialect

Linguists have identified speech patterns found among Vermonters as belonging to Western New England English, a dialect of New England English, which features full pronunciation of all r sounds, pronouncing horse and hoarse the same, and pronouncing vowels in father and bother the same, none of which are features traditionally shared in neighboring Eastern New England English.[123] Some rural speakers realize the t as a glottal stop (mitten sounds like "mi'in" and Vermont like "Vermon' "[b]).[124] A dwindling segment of the Vermont population, generally both rural and male, pronounces certain vowels in a distinctive manner (e.g. cows with a raised vowel as [kʰɛʊz] and ride with a backed, somewhat rounded vowel as [ɹɒɪd]).[125]

Eastern New England English—also found in New Hampshire, Maine and eastern Massachusetts—was common in eastern Vermont in the mid-twentieth century and before, but has become rare.[126] This accent drops the r sound in words ending in r (farmer sounds like "farm-uh") and adds an r sound to some words ending in a vowel (idea sounds like "idee-er") was common.[127][126] Those characteristics in eastern Vermont appear to have been inherited from West Country[128] and Scots-Irish ancestors.[129]

Vermont is one of three states (along with Maine and New Hampshire) where French is the second-most spoken language at home, which is largely due to the state's proximity to the Province of Quebec. New England French, a unique dialect spoken in many of Vermont's francophone homes, is derived from Quebec French, in contrast to the Brayon French which predominates in the francophone regions of northern Maine which were settled primarily by Acadians.

Religion

Religion in Vermont (2020)[130]
Religion Percent
Christian
64%
Protestant
39%
Catholic
22%
Unaffiliated
30%
Muslim
1%
Other
4%

According to the Pew Research Center in 2014, 37% reported no religion, the highest rate of irreligion of all U.S. states.[131] The Pew Research Center also determined the largest religion was Christianity;[132] Catholics made 22% of the population and Protestants were 30%. In contrast with Southern U.S. trends, the majority of Protestants are Mainline Protestant dominated by Methodism. The United Methodist Church was the largest Mainline Protestant denomination in Vermont, followed by the American Baptist Churches USA and United Church of Christ. Evangelical Protestants were dominated by independent Baptist churches. Major non-Christian religions were Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other faiths. The largest non-Christian religious group outside of irreligion were Unitarians. An estimated 3.1% of the irreligious were atheist.[132]

With the publication of a study by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2020, Christianity spread among Protestantism, Catholicism, and non-mainstream Christians including Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witnesses were approximately 64% of the adult population.[133] The religiously unaffiliated were determined to be an estimated 30% of the total adult population according to the Public Religion Research Institute. Additionally, the Association of Religion Data Archives reported that the single largest denominations were the following: the Catholic Church (124,208); United Church of Christ (11,882); and the United Methodist Church (9,652). Non-denominational Protestants numbered 29,830.[134]

Economy

 
A proportional representation of Vermont exports, 2020

In 2016, Vermont had a total employment of 262,705, and the total employer establishments were 21,174.[135] In 2019, VermontBiz reported a WalletHub ranking of Vermont 43rd as place to start a business, citing Vermont as 49th in average growth of small businesses and 50th in the availability of human capital.[136] CNBC ranked Vermont 32nd as a place to do business in 2018, citing access to capital as the largest impediment.[137] While U.S. News ranked Vermont 37th for "business environment", it ranked it 18th for employment in 2019.[138]Forbes magazine as the 42nd best state in which to do business in 2015,[139] 32nd in 2007, and 30th in 2006.[140]

As of 2017, Vermont's gross regional domestic product (GDP) was $19.3 billion, making it the second smallest among the 50 states. Its per capita GDP was $51,600, ranking it 34th among the states.[141]

Components of GDP were:[142][143]

  • Government $3 billion (13.4%)
  • Real estate, rental, and leasing $2.6 billion (11.6%)
  • Durable goods manufacturing $2.2 billion (9.6%)
  • Health care and social assistance $2.1 billion (9.4%)
  • Retail trade $1.9 billion (8.4%)
  • Finance and insurance $1.3 billion (5.9%)
  • Construction $1.2 billion (5.5%)
  • Professional and technical services $1.2 billion (5.5%)
  • Wholesale trade $1.1 billion (5.1%)
  • Accommodations and food services $1 billion (4.5%)
  • Information $958 million (4.2%)
  • Non-durable goods manufacturing $711 million (3.1%)
  • Other services $563 million (2.4%)
  • Utilities $553 million (2.4%)
  • Educational services $478 million (2.1%)
  • Transportation and warehousing $484 million (2.1%)
  • Administrative and waste services $436 million (1.9%)
  • Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting $375 million (1.6%)
  • Arts, entertainment, and recreation $194 million (.8%)
  • Mining $100 million (.4%)
  • Management of companies $35 million (.2%)

Canada was Vermont's largest foreign trade partner in 2007. The state's second-largest foreign trade partner was Taiwan.[144] The state had $4 billion worth of commerce with Quebec.[145] One measure of economic activity in Vermont is retail sales. The state had $5.2 billion in 2007.[146] In 2008, 8,631 new businesses were registered in Vermont, a decline of 500 from 2007.[147]

Personal income

In 2019, the state had a median household income of $61,973. Approximately 10.2% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.[148] The median household income from 2002 to 2004 was $45,692. This was 15th nationally.[149] The median wage in the state in 2008 was $15.31 hourly or $31,845 annually.[150] In 2007, about 80% of the 68,000 Vermonters who qualify for food stamps received them.[151] 40% of seniors 75 years or older live on annual incomes of $21,660 or less.[152] In 2011, 15.2% of Vermonters received food stamps. This compares to 14.8% nationally.[153]

In 2011, 91,000 seniors received an annual average of $14,000 from Social Security. This was 59% of the average senior's income. This contributed $1.7 billion to the state's economy.[154]

Agriculture

 
Fall foliage seen from Hogback Mountain, Wilmington

Agriculture contributed 2.2% of the state's domestic product in 2000.[155] In 2000, about 3% of the state's working population engaged in agriculture.[156] As of 2014, the Pew Research Center estimated that farms in the state employed fewer than 5,000 illegal immigrants.[157] In 2017, Vermont Governor Phil Scott announced that the state was "exploring a legal challenge" to the executive order signed by President Donald Trump for Vermont law enforcement authorities to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and "perform the functions of immigration officers in relation to the investigation, apprehension, or detention of aliens".[158]

Dairy farming

Dairy farming is the primary source of agricultural income. In the second half of the 20th century, developers had plans to build condos and houses on what was relatively inexpensive, open land. Vermont's government responded with a series of laws controlling development and with some pioneering initiatives to prevent the loss of Vermont's dairy industry. Still, the number of Vermont dairy farms has declined more than 85% from the 11,206 dairy farms operating in 1947. In 2003, there were fewer than 1,500 dairy farms in the state; in 2006 there were 1,138; in 2019 there were 658.[159] The number of dairy farms has been diminishing by 10% annually.[160] 80% of open land is controlled by dairy farms.[159]

The number of cattle in Vermont had declined by 40%; however, milk production has doubled in the same period due to tripling the production per cow.[161] While milk production rose, Vermont's market share declined. Within a group of states supplying the Boston and New York City markets (called "Federal order Class I"),[162] Vermont was third in market share, with 10.6%; New York has 44.9% and Pennsylvania has 32.9%.[163] In 2007, dairy farmers received a record $23.60 for 100 pounds (45 kg) (11.63 gallons at $2.03/gallon) of milk. This dropped in 2008 to $17 ($1.46/gallon).[164] The average dairy farm produced 1.3 million pounds of milk annually in 2008.[165]

The dairy barn remains an iconic image of Vermont, but the 87% decrease in active dairy farms between 1947 and 2003[166] means that preservation of the dairy barns has increasingly become dependent upon a commitment to maintaining a legacy rather than basic need in the agricultural economy. The Vermont Barn Census, organized by a collaboration of educational and nonprofit state and local historic preservation programs, has developed educational and administrative systems for recording the number, condition, and features of barns throughout Vermont.[167]

In 2009, there were 543 organic farms. Twenty percent of the dairy farms were organic and 23% (128) vegetable farms were organic. Organic farming increased in 2006–07, but leveled off in 2008–09.[168]

A significant amount of milk is shipped into the Boston market. Therefore the Commonwealth of Massachusetts certifies that Vermont farms meet Massachusetts sanitary standards. Without this certification, a farmer may not sell milk for distribution into the bulk market.[169] In 2019, two-thirds of all milk in New England was produced by Vermont dairies.[159]

Forestry

Forest products have always been a staple to the economy, comprising 1% of the total gross state output and 9% of total manufacturing as of 2013.[170] In 2007, Windham County contained the largest concentration of kilns for drying lumber east of the Mississippi River. The decline of farms has resulted in a regrowth of Vermont's forests due to ecological succession. Today, most of Vermont's forests are secondary. The state and non-profit organizations are actively encouraging regrowth and careful forest management. Over 78% of the land area of the state is forested compared to only 37% in the 1880s, when sheep farming was at its peak and large amounts of acreage were cleared for grazing.[171] Over 85% of that area is non-industrial, private forestland owned by individuals or families. In 2013, 73,054 million cubic feet (2,068.7 million cubic meters) of wood was harvested in Vermont.[172] A large amount of Vermont forest products are exports with 21,504 million feet (6.554×109 meters) being shipped overseas plus an additional 16,384 million cubic feet (463.9 million cubic meters) to Canada.[172] Most of it was processed within the state. In this century the manufacture of wood products has fallen by almost half. The annual net growth has been estimated at 172,810 million cubic feet (4,893 million cubic meters).[172] The USDA estimates that 8,584 billion cubic feet (243.1 billion cubic meters) remain in the state.[172] Forest products also add to carbon sequestration since lumber and timber used in houses and furniture hold carbon for long periods of time while the trees that were removed are replaced overtime with new growing stock.[173]

In 2017, the price of wood products had either plummeted or remained the same when compared to previous decades, which meant there was cause for concern with jobs in the industry. For example, in 1994, the price of a thousand board feet was $300, the same as it was in 2017. The price of wood chips has halved in the same time frame. In 1980, the price for a cord of wood was $50; in 2017, $25. For lack of demand, Vermont's forests are growing twice as fast as they are being cut.[174]

Other

An important and growing part of Vermont's economy is the manufacture and sale of artisan foods, fancy foods, and novelty items trading in part upon the Vermont "brand," which the state manages and defends. Examples of these specialty exports include Cabot Cheese, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Fine Paints of Europe, Vermont Butter and Cheese Company, several microbreweries, ginseng growers, Burton Snowboards, King Arthur Flour, and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream.

As of 2019, Vermont was the leading producer of maple syrup in the United States.[175] There were about 2,000 maple products producers in 2010.[176] Production rose to 920,000 US gallons (3,500,000 l; 770,000 imp gal) in 2009.[177] The state's share of the nation's production rose to 42% in 2013. It had the second lowest price at $33.40/gallon.[178] The wine industry in Vermont started in 1985. As of 2007, there were 14 wineries.[179]

Manufacturing

As of 2015, GlobalFoundries was the largest private employer in the state and provides jobs to 3,000 employees at its plant in the village of Essex Junction within Chittenden County.[180]

A 2010 University of Connecticut study reported that Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire tied as the most costly states in the U.S. for manufacturers.[181]

Energy

Vermont has no fossil-fuel reserves, however its forest products industry provides fuel for electricity generation and home heating. Electricity consumption per capita ranks it among the lowest 20% of states, and total electricity consumption was the lowest in the United States. Vermont consumed three times more electricity than it generated in-state in 2019, and imported its largest share of electricity from Canada. Vermont's 99.9% share of in-state electricity generation from renewable sources was the highest among all 50 states.[182]

Health

An increasingly aging population is expected to improve the position of aging services and health care in the state economy. The University of Vermont Medical Center, with approximately 6,400 employees, is the largest employer in the state.[183]

In 2010, all of Vermont's hospitals billed patients $3.76 billion, and collected $2 billion.[184] 92,000 people are enrolled in Medicare. In 2011, Medicare spent $740 million on health care in the state.[154]

Labor

In 2009, the state attained a high of 361,290 workers.[185]

As of 2006, there were 305,000 workers in Vermont. Eleven percent of these are unionized.[186][187] Out of a workforce of 299,200 workers, 52,000 were government jobs, federal, state, and local.[188]

A modern high unemployment rate of 9% was reached in June 1976. A modern low of 2.4% was measured in February 2000.[189] As of October 2019, the unemployment rate was 2.2%.[190]

Employment grew 7.5% from 2000 to 2006. From 1980 to 2000, employment grew by 3.4%; nationally it was up 4.6%. Real wages were $33,385 in 2006 constant dollars and remained there in 2010; the nation, $36,871.[191]

Insurance

Captive insurance plays an increasingly large role in Vermont's economy. With this form of alternative insurance, large corporations or industry associations form standalone insurance companies to insure their own risks, thereby substantially reducing their insurance premiums and gaining a significant measure of control over types of risks to be covered. There are also significant tax advantages to be gained from the formation and operation of captive insurance companies. According to the Insurance Information Institute, Vermont in 2009 was the world's third-largest domicile for captive insurance companies, following Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.[192]

In 2009, there were 560 such companies.[193]

In 2010, the state had 900 such companies.[194]

Recreation

Summer camps such as Camp Abenaki, Camp Billings, Camp Dudley, and Camp Hochelaga contribute to Vermont's tourist economy.

In 2005, visitors made an estimated 13.4 million trips to the state, spending $1.57 billion.[195]

In 2012, fall accounted for $460 million of income, about one-quarter of all tourism.[196]

In 2011, the state government earned $274 million in taxes and fees from tourism. 89% of the money came from out-of-state visitors. Tourism supported over 26,000 jobs, 7.2% of total employment.[197]

According to the 2000 Census, almost 15% of all housing units in Vermont were vacant and classified "for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use".[198][clarification needed] This was the second highest percentage nationwide, after Maine. In some Vermont cities, vacation homes owned by wealthy residents of New England and New York constitute the bulk of all housing stock. According to one estimate, as of 2009, 84% of all houses in Ludlow were owned by out-of-state residents.[199] Other notable vacation-home resorts include Manchester and Stowe.

Hunting

 
Autumn in Vermont

Hunting is controlled for black bear, wild turkeys, deer, and moose.[200] There are 5,500 bears in the state. The goal is to keep the numbers between 4,500 and 6,000.[201]

In 2010, there were about 141,000 deer in the state, which is in range of government goals. However, these are distributed unevenly and when in excess of 10–15 per square mile (4–6/km2), negatively impact timber growth.[202]

In 2012, hunting of migratory birds was limited to October 13 to December 16. Waterfowl hunting is also controlled by federal law.[203]

Skiing and snowmobiling

 
Stowe Resort Village

Some of the largest ski areas in New England are located in Vermont. Skiers and snowboarders visit Burke Mountain Ski Area, Bolton Valley, Smugglers' Notch, Killington Ski Resort, Mad River Glen, Stowe Mountain Resort, Cochrans Ski Area, Sugarbush, Stratton, Jay Peak, Okemo, Saskadena Six, Mount Snow, Bromley, and Magic Mountain Ski Area. Summer visitors tour resort towns like Stowe, Manchester, Quechee, Wilmington and Woodstock. The effects of global warming have been predicted to shorten the length of the ski season across Vermont, which would continue the contraction and consolidation of the ski industry in Vermont and threaten individual ski businesses and communities that rely on ski tourism.[204]

In winter, Nordic and backcountry skiers visit to travel the length of the state on the Catamount Trail. Several horse shows are annual events. Vermont's state parks, historic sites, museums, golf courses, and new boutique hotels with spas were designed to attract tourists.

In 2000–01, there were 4,579,719 skier and snowboarder visits to the state. There were 4,125,082 visits in 2009–2010, a rise from recent years.[205]

In 2008, there were 35,000 members of 138 snowmobiling clubs in Vermont. The combined association of clubs maintains 6,000 miles (9,700 km) of trail often over private lands. The industry is said to generate "hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business."[206]

Quarrying

The towns of Rutland and Barre are the traditional centers of marble and granite quarrying and carving in the U.S. For many years Vermont was also the headquarters of the smallest union in the U.S., the Journeymen Stonecutters' Association of North America, of about 500 members. The first marble quarry in America was on Mount Aeolus overlooking East Dorset.[207] The granite industry attracted numerous skilled stonecutters in the late 19th century from Italy, Scotland, and Ireland. Barre is the location of the Rock of Ages quarry, the largest dimension stone granite quarry in the United States. Vermont is the largest producer of slate in the country. The highest quarrying revenues result from the production of dimension stone.[citation needed] The Rock of Ages quarry in Barre is one of the leading exporters of granite in the country. The work of the sculptors of this corporation can be seen 3 miles (4.8 km) down the road at the Hope Cemetery, where there are gravestones and mausoleums.[citation needed]

Non-profits and volunteerism

There were 2,682 non-profit organizations in Vermont in 2008, with $2.8 billion in revenue.[208] The state ranked ninth in the country for volunteerism for the period 2005–08. 35.6% of the population volunteered during this period. The national average was 26.4%.[209]

Education

 
The Lyndon Institute, a high school in Lyndon, Vermont

Vermont was named the nation's smartest state in 2005 and 2006.[210] In 2006, there was a gap between state testing standards and national, which is biased in favor of the state standards by 30%, on average. This puts Vermont 11th-best in the nation. Most states have a higher bias.[211] However, when allowance for race is considered, a 2007 U.S. Government list of test scores shows Vermont white fourth graders performed 25th in the nation for reading (229) and 26th for math (247).[212] White eighth graders scored 18th for math (292) and 12th for reading (273). The first three scores were not considered statistically different from average. White eighth graders scored significantly above average in reading. Statistics for black students were not reliable because of their small representation in the testing.

In 2017, spending $1.6 billion on education for 76,000 public school children, represents more than $21,000 per student.[213]

Education Week ranked the state second[c] in high school graduation rates for 2007.[214]

In 2011, 91% of the population had graduated from high school compared with 85% nationally. Almost 34% have at least an undergraduate degree compared with 28% nationally.[215]

In 2013, the ratio of pupils to teachers was the lowest in the country.[216]

Higher education

 
The University of Vermont
Old Mill, the oldest building of the university

Experimentation at the University of Vermont by George Perkins Marsh, and later the influence of Vermont-born philosopher and educator John Dewey brought about the concepts of electives and learning by doing.

Vermont has five colleges within the Vermont State Colleges system, University of Vermont (UVM), and several other private, degree-granting colleges, including Bennington College, Champlain College, Goddard College, Middlebury College, Saint Michael's College, the Vermont Law School, and Norwich University.

Transportation

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is responsible for Vermont's transport infrastructure. The principal mode of travel in Vermont is via motor vehicle, with 94.3% of Vermont households owning a car in 2008.[217] Four car ferry routes operate across Lake Champlain. Passenger rail is provided by Amtrak's daily Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express trains. Intercity bus operators include Vermont Translines, Greyhound Lines, and Megabus. A number of public transit agencies operate bus service at the local, county, and regional levels. Burlington International Airport is the state's primary airport.

Road

 
The West Dummerston Bridge, the longest covered bridge in Vermont

In 2012, there were 605,000 motor vehicles registered, nearly one car for every person in the state. This is similar to average car ownership nationwide.[218] In 2012, about half the carbon emissions in the state resulted from vehicles.[219]

In 2010, Vermont owned 2,840 miles (4,570 km) of highway. This was the third smallest quantity among the 50 states. 2.5% of the highways were listed as "congested," the fifth lowest in the country. The highway fatality rate was one per 100,000,000 miles (160,000,000 km), tenth lowest in the nation. The highways cost $28,669 per mile ($17,814/km) to maintain, the 17th highest in the states. 34.4% of its 2,691[220] bridges were rated deficient or obsolete, the eighth worst in the nation.[221] A 2005–06 study ranked Vermont 37th out of the states for "cost-effective road maintenance", a decline of thirteen places since 2004–05.[222]

In 2007, Vermont was ranked the third safest state for highway fatalities.[223] One third of these fatal crashes involved a drunken driver.[224] On average, 20–25 people die each year from drunk driving incidents, and 70–80 people are in fatal car crashes in the state.[225] Collisions with moose constitute a traffic threat, particularly in northern Vermont, and cause several deaths per year.[226] In 2009, 93% of Vermont motorists were insured, tying the state with Pennsylvania for the highest percentage.[227] In 2008, Vermont was the fifth best state for fewest uninsured motorists—6%.[228]

Trucks weighing less than 80,000 pounds (36,000 kg) can use Vermont's interstate highways. The limit for state roads is 99,000 pounds (45,000 kg). This means that vehicles too heavy for the interstates can legally use only secondary roads.[229][230]

In 1968, Vermont outlawed the use of billboards for advertisement along its roads. It is one of four states in the U.S. to have done this, along with Hawaii, Maine, and Alaska.[231][232]

Major north–south routes

  •   Interstate 89 runs a northwest–southeast path through Vermont, beginning in White River Junction and heading northwest to serve the cities of Montpelier, Burlington, and St. Albans en route to the Canada–U.S. border. I-89 intersects I-91 in White River Junction and has a short spur route, Interstate 189, just outside of Burlington.
  •   Interstate 91 runs a north–south path from the Massachusetts state line to the Canada–U.S. border, connecting the towns of Brattleboro, White River Junction, St. Johnsbury, and the city of Newport. I-91 intersects I-89 in White River Junction, and I-93 in St. Johnsbury.
  •   Interstate 93 runs a short, 11-mile (18 km) distance from the New Hampshire state line to its northern terminus in St. Johnsbury, where it intersects I-91. I-93 connects the Northeast Kingdom region of Vermont with the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, and points south.
  •   U.S. Route 5 runs a north–south path in eastern Vermont from the Massachusetts state line to the Canada-U.S. border. U.S. Route 5 is a surface road that runs parallel to I-91 for its entire length in the state, and serves nearly all the same towns. The two routes also parallel the New Hampshire state line between Brattleboro and St. Johnsbury.
  •   U.S. Route 7 runs a north–south path in western Vermont from the Massachusetts state line to the Canada-U.S. border. U.S. Route 7 connects the cities and towns of Bennington, Rutland, Middlebury, Burlington, and St. Albans. Between Bennington and Dorset, U.S. Route 7 runs as a Super 2 freeway. It also parallels I-89 between Burlington and the Canada–U.S. border.
  •   Vermont Route 30 is a 111.870-mile-long north–south road that runs from Brattleboro to Middlebury. Vermont Route 30 runs through the state's historic West River Valley, where it passes through the colonial towns of Newfane, Townshend, West Townshend, East Jamaica, Jamaica, Rawsonville and Bondville.
  •   Vermont Route 100 runs a north–south path directly through the center of the state, along the length of the Green Mountains. VT Route 100 generally parallels both U.S. Route 5 (which runs to its east) and U.S. Route 7 (which runs to its west). Many of the state's major ski areas are located either directly on, or very close to, VT Route 100. The largest town by population along VT Route 100 is Morristown.

Major east–west routes

  •   U.S. Route 2 runs a generally east–west path across central and northern Vermont, from Alburgh (on the New York state line) to Guildhall (on the New Hampshire state line). U.S. Route 2 connects the Lake Champlain Islands and the Northeast Kingdom to the population centers of Burlington, Montpelier, and St. Johnsbury. U.S. Route 2 runs parallel to I-89 between Colchester and Montpelier. Although the portion of the road from Alburgh to Burlington follows a north–south orientation, U.S. Route 2 in Vermont is entirely signed as east–west.
  •   U.S. Route 4 runs east–west across south-central Vermont from Fair Haven (on the New York state line) to White River Junction (on the New Hampshire state line). U.S. Route 4 also connects the city of Rutland and the towns of Killington and Woodstock. Between Fair Haven and Rutland, U.S. Route 4 runs as a four-lane freeway that is mostly up to Interstate design standards.
  •   U.S. Route 302 runs an east–west path from its western terminus in Montpelier to the village of Wells River, where it intersects both I-91 and U.S. Route 5, and then crosses into New Hampshire. U.S. Route 302 is one of the main roads connecting Montpelier and Barre in central Vermont.
  •   Vermont Route 9 runs an east–west path across the southern part of the state. VT Route 9 connects the towns of Bennington, Wilmington, and Brattleboro.
  •   Vermont Route 105 runs a generally east–west path across the northernmost parts of Vermont (sometimes within a few miles of the Canada–U.S. border) from St. Albans to Bloomfield (on the New Hampshire state line). VT Route 105 ultimately connects the cities of St. Albans and Newport.

Ferry

 
The Cumberland ice-breaking ferry headed toward Grand Isle in winter

There is a year-round ferry service to and from New York State across Lake Champlain from Burlington, Charlotte, Grand Isle, and Shoreham. All but the Shoreham ferry are operated by the Lake Champlain Transportation Company (LCTC).[233]

Rail

 
The Ethan Allen Express alongside the Island Line Trail in Burlington

The state is served by Amtrak's Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express, the New England Central Railroad, the Vermont Railway, and the Green Mountain Railroad.

The Ethan Allen Express serves Burlington Union Station, Ferrisburgh–Vergennes, Middlebury, Rutland, and Castleton,[234] while the Vermonter serves St. Albans, Essex Junction, Waterbury, Montpelier, Randolph, White River Junction, Windsor, Bellows Falls, and Brattleboro.[235]

Intercity bus

Greyhound Lines stops at Bellows Falls, Brattleboro, Burlington, Montpelier, and White River Junction.[236] Megabus, as of November 2014, stops in Burlington and Montpelier.[237] Vermont Translines, an intercity bus company started by Premier Coach in 2013 partnering with Greyhound and starting service on June 9, 2014, serves Milton, Colchester, Burlington, Middlebury, Brandon, Rutland, Wallingford, Manchester and Bennington on its Burlington to Albany line, and Rutland, Killington, Bridgewater, Woodstock, Queechee and White River Junction along the U.S. Route 4 corridor.[238] The town of Bennington also has the weekday-operating Albany-Bennington Shuttle, an intercity bus operated by Yankee Trails World Travel.[239]

Local bus

 
MVRTD's "The Bus" in Rutland

A patchwork of transit providers operate local bus service in every Vermont county, though route frequency and coverage are often limited outside major cities. Many operators also provide paratransit and regional express bus services. Green Mountain Transit is the largest operator in the state, with weekday ridership of 7,300 as of the second quarter of 2022.[240] Other major systems are Marble Valley Regional Transit District (The Bus), Southeast Vermont Transit (MOOver), Tri-Valley Transit, Rural Community Transportation, Advance Transit, and Green Mountain Community Network.[241]

Air

Burlington International Airport is the largest in the state, with regular flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Washington Dulles, JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Orlando, and Philadelphia. Airlines serving the airport include: American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, and United.[242] This is also the airport where the 134th fighter squadron of the 158th fighter wing is located. Known as the "Green Mountain Boys," this squadron is armed with the Block 30 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon and is tasked with protecting the Northeastern United States from the air.

Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport has regular flights to Boston via Cape Air.[243]

Media

Newspapers of record

Vermont statute[244] requires the Vermont Secretary of State to designate newspapers that provide general coverage across the state as the "Newspapers of Record." This is the list, as of 2019:[245]

Broadcast media

Vermont hosts 93 radio broadcast stations. The top categories are talk/information (11), country (9) and classic rock (9). The top owner of radio broadcast stations is Vermont Public Radio (11 broadcast frequencies and 13 low-power, local transmitters).[246] Other companies had five or fewer stations. The state has 15 online radio stations.[247]

Vermont hosts 10 high-power television broadcast stations, three of which are satellites of a primary station. Represented are the following networks and number of high-power transmitters, ABC (1), CBS (1), Fox (1), NBC (2), PBS (4), and RTV (1). In addition, it has 17 low-power television broadcast stations, which in several cases are satellites of the high-power stations.

Electrical utilities

Vermont electric power needs are served by over twenty utilities. The largest is Green Mountain Power, a subsidiary of Énergir which recently also took over Central Vermont Public Service. Together this single company represents 70% of the retail customers in Vermont. The state is a small electricity consumer compared with other states. Therefore, its electricity sector has the lowest carbon footprint in the country. As of 2010, the state had the lowest wholesale electricity costs in New England.[248]

Public health

In 2010, Vermont was the sixth highest ranked state for Well-Being in a study by Gallup and Healthways.[249] In 2010, the state stood third in physical well-being of children.[250]

In 2010, Vermont was ranked the highest in the country for health outcomes.[251]

In 2000, the state implemented the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program to improve preventive services and management of chronic conditions. In 2011, the state ranked third in the nation in child health system performance.[252] In 2011, the March of Dimes gave Vermont an "A," ranking it number one in the country on its Prematurity Report Card.[253]

In 2008, Vermont was ranked number one in the nation as the healthiest place to live for the seventh time in eight years. Criteria included low teenage birth rate, strong health coverage, the lowest AIDS rate in the country, and 18 other factors.[254] The state scored well in cessation of smoking, obesity, fewer occupational fatalities, prevalence of health insurance, and low infant mortality. A problem area was a high prevalence of binge drinking.[255] While ranking sixth from best for adults in obesity in 2009, the state still had 22% obese with a rate of 27% for children 10–17. The ranking for children was ninth best in the nation.[256] In 1993, the obesity rate for adults was 12%. Vermonters spend $141 million annually in medical costs related to obesity.[257] The combined figures for overweight and obese adults rose from 40.7% in 1990 to 58.4% in 2010. This is better than most other states.[258]

In 2011, Vermont led the nation in the rate of young people who had consumed alcohol in the past month; one-third of people aged 11 through 20. One-fifth of that group had binged during that time. The state was second for the use of marijuana by young people; 30% of adults 18 to 25 in the past month.[259]

In 2009, Vermont was ranked second in the nation for safety. Crime statistics on violence were used for the criteria.[260]

In 2007, Vermont was ranked among the best five states in the country for preventing "premature death" in people under 75 years of age. The rate of survival was twice that of the five lowest performing states.[261]

Parts of the state have been declared federal disaster areas on 28 occasions from 1963 to 2008.[262]

In 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency cited Chittenden and Bennington as counties with 70 parts per billion of smog which is undesirable.[263]

In 2008, about 100,000 Vermonters got their health care through the federal government, Medicare, Tri-Care, and the Veteran's Administration. An additional 10,000 Vermonters work for employers who provide insurance under federal law under ERISA. About 20% of Vermonters receive health care outside of Vermont; 20% of the care provided within the state is to non-Vermonters.[264] In 2008, the state had an estimated 7.6% with no medical insurance, down from 9.8% in 2005.[265] In 2008, the Vermont Health Access Program for low-income, uninsured adults cost from $7 to $49 per month.[266] A "Catamount Health" premium assistance program was available for Vermonters who do not qualify for other programs. Total monthly premiums ranged from $60 to $393 for an individual. There was a $250 deductible. Insured paid $10 toward each generic prescription. 16.9% of residents 18 to 35 were uninsured, the highest group.[267]

Health care spending increased from $2.3 billion in 2000 to $4.8 billion in 2009.[268] In 2009, adult day care services cost more in Vermont than any other state—$150 daily.[269]

The state started air drops of rabies bait for raccoons in 1997. Known rabies cases in raccoons peaked in 2007 at 165. The program is in cooperation with neighboring states and Canada.[270]

Law and government

 
The Vermont Supreme Court's building in Montpelier

Vermont is federally represented in the United States Congress by two senators and one representative.

The state is governed by a constitution which divides governmental duties into legislative, executive and judicial branches: the Vermont General Assembly, the governor of Vermont and the Vermont Supreme Court. The governorship and the General Assembly serve two-year terms including the governor and 30 senators. There are no term limits for any office. The state capital is in Montpelier.

There are three types of incorporated municipalities in Vermont: towns, cities, and villages. Like most of New England, there is slight provision for autonomous county government. Counties and county seats are merely convenient repositories for various government services such as state courts, with several elected officers such as a state's Attorney and sheriff. All county services are directly funded by the state of Vermont. The next effective governmental level below state government are municipalities. Most of these are towns.[271]

Finances and taxation

Vermont is the only state in the union not to have a balanced-budget requirement, yet it has had a balanced budget every year since 1991.[272]

In 2007, Moody's gave its top bond credit rating (Aaa) to the state.[273]

The state uses enterprise funds for operations that are similar to private business enterprises. The Vermont Lottery Commission, the Liquor Control Fund, and the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, are the largest of the State's enterprise funds.[274]

Also in 2007, Vermont was the 14th highest out of 50 states and the District of Columbia for state and local taxation, with a per capita load of $3,681. The national average was $3,447.[275] However, CNNMoney ranked Vermont highest in the nation based on the percentage of per capita income. The rankings showed Vermont had a per capita tax load of $5,387, 14.1% of the per capita income of $38,306.[276]

Vermont collects a state personal income tax in a progressive structure of five different income brackets, with marginal tax rates ranging from 3.6% to 9.5%. In 2008, the top 1% of Vermont residents provided 30% of the income tax revenue; around 2,000 people had sufficient income to be taxed at the highest marginal rate of 9.5%.[277]

Vermont's general state sales tax rate is 6%, which is imposed on sales of tangible personal property, amusement charges, fabrication charges, some public utility charges and some service contracts. Some towns and cities impose an additional 1% Local Option Tax. There are 46 exemptions from the sales tax, including exemptions for food, medical items, manufacturing machinery, equipment and fuel, residential fuel and electricity, clothing, and shoes. A use tax is imposed on the buyer at the same rate as the sales tax. The buyer pays the use tax when the seller fails to collect the sales tax or the items are purchased from a source where no tax is collected. The use tax applies to items taxable under the sales tax.

Vermont does not collect inheritance taxes, but does impose a state estate tax; a Vermont estate tax return must be filed if the estate must file a federal estate tax return (the requirement for which depends on federal law).[278]

Vermont does not collect a state gift tax.[278]

Property taxes are levied by municipalities for the support of education and municipal services. Vermont does not assess tax on personal property.[279] Property taxes are based on appraisal of the fair market value of real property.[279] Rates vary from 0.97% on homesteaded property in Ferdinand, Essex County, to 2.72% on nonresidents' property in Barre City.[280] Statewide, towns average 1.77% to 1.82% tax rate.

In 2007, Vermont counties were among the highest in the country for property taxes. Chittenden ($3,809 median), Windham ($3,412), Addison ($3,352), and Windsor ($3,327) ranked in the top 100, out of 1,817 counties in the nation with populations greater than 20,000. Twelve of the state's 14 counties stood in the top 20%.[281] Median annual property taxes as a percentage of median homeowners income, 5.4%, was rated as the third highest in the nation in 2011.[282][d]

To equitably support education, some towns are required by Act 60 to send some of their collected taxes to be redistributed to school districts lacking adequate support.[283]

Politics

Vermont is one of four states that were once independent nations (Texas, California, and Hawaii are the others). Notably, Vermont is the only state to have voted for a presidential candidate from the Anti-Masonic Party, and Vermont was one of only two states to vote against Franklin D. Roosevelt in all four of his presidential campaigns (the other was Maine).

Vermont's history of independent political thought has led to movements for the establishment of the Second Vermont Republic and other plans advocating secession.

Vermont is the only state in the United States that requires voters to be sworn in, having established the voter's oath or affirmation in 1777.[284] All white men were granted universal suffrage in 1777.[285]

State politics

 
Vermont towns hold a March town meeting for voters to approve the town's budget and decide other matters. Marlboro voters meet in this building.


Republicans dominated local Vermont politics from the party's founding in 1854 until the mid-1970s, and at the presidential level until the 1990s. Before the 1960s, rural interests dominated the legislature. As a result, cities, particularly the older sections of Burlington and Winooski, were neglected and fell into decay, and people began to move out to newer suburbs.

A series of one man, one vote decisions made by the United States Supreme Court in the 1960s required states to redraw their legislative districts to accurately reflect population. As a result, urban areas in Vermont gained political power.

The legislature was redistricted under one-person, one-vote in the 1960s. It passed the Land Use and Development Law (Act 250) in 1970, to discourage suburban sprawl and to limit major growth to already developed areas. The law, the first of its kind in the nation, created nine District Environmental Commissions appointed by the Governor, who judged land development and subdivision plans that would have a significant impact on the state's environment and many small communities. As a result of Act 250, Vermont was the last state to get a Wal-Mart (there are now six Wal-Marts in the state, as of November 2017, but only three — in Williston, St. Albans, and Derby — were newly built from the ground up). Because of the successful attempts to dilute what is perceived as the original intent of Act 250,[286] and other development pressures, Vermont has been designated one of America's most "endangered historic places" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.[287]

From 1856 (the first presidential election after the Republican Party's founding) to 1988, Vermont voted Republican in every presidential election except 1964, when Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson became the first of his party to carry the state amidst a national landslide. Since 1992, Vermont has voted Democratic in every presidential election, marking a massive shift in the state's politics.[288][289][290][291]

In 1995, the state banned the spreading of manure from December 15 to April 1, to prevent run-off and protect the water. Therefore, farms must have environmentally approved facilities to store manure during this time frame.[292]

While the state voted largely Democratic, Republican Governor Douglas won all counties but Windham in the 2006 election.

A controversy dating from 1999 has been over the adoption of civil unions, an institution which grants same-sex couples nearly all the rights and privileges of marriage at the state, but not federal, level. In Baker v. Vermont (1999), the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that, under the Constitution of Vermont, the state must either allow same-sex marriage or provide a "separate, but equal" status for them. The state legislature chose the second option, by creating the institution of civil union; the bill was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Howard Dean.

In April 2009, the state legislature overrode governor Jim Douglas's veto to allow same-sex marriage, becoming the first state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage through legislation.[293] In September 2009, Vermont became the fourth state in which same-sex couples could marry. The previous three were Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa.

In 2007, the state's House of Representatives rejected a measure which would have legalized assisted suicide for the terminally ill, by a vote of (82–63). With the governor's signature on May 20, 2013, Vermont became the fourth state to pass a "death with dignity" law — the first to be passed through legislation, rather than by ballot initiative.[294]

Minor parties and independents flourish. Rules which eliminate smaller parties from the ballot in most states do not exist in Vermont. As a result, voters often have extensive choices for general elections. Among others, this more open policy enabled independents like Bernie Sanders to win election as mayor of Burlington, as a U.S. Congressman, and as a U.S. Senator.

A political issue has been Act 60, which balances taxation for education funding. This has resulted in the town of Killington trying to secede from Vermont and join New Hampshire, due to what the locals say is an unfair tax burden.[295][296]

The Vermont constitution and the courts supports the right of a person to walk (fish and hunt) on any unposted, unfenced land. That is, trespass must be proven by the owner; it is not automatically assumed.[297]

Vermont has some of the least restrictive gun control laws in the country. A permit or license is not required for purchasing or carrying firearms. Concealed carry and open carry of a firearm is legal over the age of 16, with those below 16 requiring parental permission.[298][299][300][301]

Vermont has a pro-sanctuary city law.[302]

The state is an alcoholic beverage control state. In 2007, through the Vermont Department of Liquor Control, it took in over $14 million from the sale and distribution of liquor.[303]

In 2013, Vermont became the 17th state to decriminalize marijuana. The statute makes possession of less than an ounce of the drug punishable by a small fine, rather than arrest and possible jail time.[304]

In 2014, Vermont became the first state to call for a constitutional convention to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC.[305]

In 2014, Vermont became the first state to mandate labeling of genetically modified organisms in the retail food supply.

In January 2018, Governor Phil Scott opted to sign H.511, the Vermont marijuana legalization bill, which allows adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to two mature plants starting July 1, 2018.[306]

Federal politics

 
Senators Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy and Representative Peter Welch greet supporters in 2017.

Historically, Vermont was considered one of the most reliably Republican states in the country in terms of national elections. From 1856 to 1988, Vermont voted Democratic only once, in Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory of 1964 against Barry M. Goldwater. It was also one of only two states—Maine is the other—where Franklin D. Roosevelt was completely shut out in all four of his presidential bids. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Republican presidential candidates frequently won the state with over 70% of the vote.

In the 1980s and 1990s, many people moved in from out of state.[104][307][308] Much of this immigration included the arrival of more liberal political influences of the urban areas of New York and the rest of New England in Vermont.[307] The brand of Republicanism in Vermont has historically been a moderate one, and combined with the newcomers from out of state, this made Vermont friendlier to Democrats as the national GOP moved to the right. As evidence of this, in 1990 Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, was elected to Vermont's lone seat in the House as an independent. Sanders became the state's junior Senator in 2007. However, for his entire career in the House and Senate, Sanders has caucused with the Democrats and is counted as a Democrat for the purposes of committee assignments and voting for party leadership.[309]

After narrowly supporting George H. W. Bush in 1988, it gave Democrat Bill Clinton a 16-point margin in 1992—the first time the state had gone Democratic since 1964. Vermont has voted Democratic in every presidential election since.

Since 2004, Vermont has been one of the Democrats' most loyal states. It gave John Kerry his fourth-largest margin of victory in the presidential campaign against George W. Bush; he won the state's popular vote by 20 percentage points, taking almost 59% of the vote. (Kerry, from neighboring Massachusetts, also became the first Northern Democrat ever to carry Vermont; Johnson was from Texas, Clinton from Arkansas and Al Gore, triumphant in the Green Mountain State in 2000, from Tennessee.) Essex County in the state's northeastern section was the only county to vote for Bush. Vermont is the only state that did not receive a visit from George W. Bush during his tenure as President of the United States.[310] Indeed, George W. Bush and Donald Trump are the only Republicans to win the White House without carrying Vermont. In 2008, Vermont gave Barack Obama his third-largest margin of victory (37 percentage points) and third-largest vote share in the nation by his winning the state 68% to 31%. Only Obama's birth state of Hawaii and Washington, D.C. were stronger Democratic victories. The same held true in 2012, when Obama carried Vermont 67% of the vote to 31% for Romney, and in 2016, when Hillary Clinton won with 57% of the vote to 30% for Donald Trump.

Vermont's two Senators are independent Bernie Sanders and Democrat Peter Welch. The state is represented by an at-large member of the House, Democrat Becca Balint, who succeeded Welch in 2023.

Culture

 
Vermontasaurus sculpture in Post Mills, in 2010

Vermont festivals include the Vermont Maple Festival, Festival on the Green,[311] The Vermont Dairy Festival in Enosburg Falls,[312] the Apple Festival (held each Columbus Day Weekend), the Marlboro Music Festival, and the Vermont Brewers Festival.[313] The Vermont Symphony Orchestra is supported by the state and performs throughout the area.

Since 1973 the Sage City Symphony, formed by composer Louis Calabro, has performed in the Bennington area. In 1988, a number of Vermont-based composers including Gwyneth Walker formed the Vermont Composers Consortium,[314][315] which was recognized by the governor proclaiming 2011 as The Year of the Composer.[316]

Burlington, Vermont's largest city, hosts the annual Vermont International Film Festival, which presents ten days in October of independent films.[317] The Brattleboro-based Vermont Theatre Company presents an annual summer Shakespeare festival. Brattleboro also hosts the summertime Strolling of the Heifers parade which celebrates Vermont's dairy culture. The annual Green Mountain Film Festival is held in Montpelier.[318]

In the Northeast Kingdom, the Bread and Puppet Theatre holds weekly shows in Glover in a natural outdoor amphitheater.[319]

One of Vermont's best known musical acts is the rock band Phish, whose members met while attending school in Vermont and spent much of their early years playing at venues across the state.[320][321]

The Vermont-based House of LeMay[322] performs several shows a year, hosts the annual "Winter is a Drag Ball,"[323] and performs for fundraisers.

Examples of folk art found in Vermont include the Vermontasaurus in Post Mills, a community in Thetford.[324]

The rate of volunteerism in Vermont was eighth in the nation with 37% in 2007. The state stood first in New England.[325] In 2011, Vermont residents were ranked as the healthiest in the country.[326] Also in 2011, Vermont was ranked as the fourth most peaceful state in the United States.[327] In 2011, Vermont residents were ranked as the sixth most fit/leanest in the country.[328] Vermonters were the second most active citizens of state with 55.9% meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's physical activity requirements.[329] Vermont was ranked as the 12th happiest state in the country.[330]

Sports

Winter sports

Winter sports are popular in New England, and Vermont's winter sports attractions are a big part of Vermont tourism. Some well known attractions include Burke Mountain ski area, Jay Peak Resort, Killington Ski Resort, Stowe Mountain Resort, the Quechee Club Ski Area, and Smugglers' Notch Resort.

Vermont natives in the snowboarding profession include Kevin Pearce, Ross Powers, Hannah Teter, and Kelly Clark. Others learned snowboarding in the state, such as Louie Vito and Ellery Hollingsworth.

Vermont Olympic gold medalists include Barbara Cochran,[331]Hannah Kearney,[332]Kelly Clark,[333]Ross Powers,[334] and Hannah Teter.[335]

Baseball

The largest professional franchise is the Vermont Lake Monsters of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, based in Burlington. They were named the Vermont Expos before 2006.[336] Up until the 2011 season, they were the affiliate of the Washington Nationals (formerly the Montreal Expos). Up until 2020, they played in the New York-Penn League of Single-A and were the Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics

Basketball

Currently the highest-ranked teams in basketball representing Vermont are the NCAA's Vermont Catamounts—male and female.[337]

The Vermont Frost Heaves, the 2007 and 2008 American Basketball Association national champions, were a franchise of the Premier Basketball League, and were based in Barre and Burlington from the fall of 2006 through the winter of 2011.

Football

The Vermont Bucks, an indoor football team, were based in Burlington and began play in 2017 as the founding team in the Can-Am Indoor Football League.[338] For 2018, the Bucks joined the American Arena League, but folded prior to playing in the new league.[339]

Hockey

Vermont is home to the University of Vermont Men's and Women's hockey teams. Vermont's only professional hockey team was the Vermont Wild who played in the Federal Hockey League during the 2011–12 season, but the team folded before the season ended.[citation needed]

Soccer

The Vermont Voltage were a USL Premier Development League soccer club that played in St. Albans.

Vermont Green FC are a USL League 2 club that will play at University of Vermont's Virtue Field in Burlington.[340][341]

Annually since 2002, high school statewide all stars compete against New Hampshire in ten sports during "Twin State" playoffs.[342]

Motorsport

Vermont also has a few auto racing venues. The most popular of them is Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vermont. It is well known for its tight racing and has become well known in short track stock car racing. Other racing circuits include the USC sanctioned Bear Ridge Speedway, and the NASCAR sanctioned Devil's Bowl Speedway. Some NASCAR Cup drivers have come to Vermont circuits to compete against local weekly drivers such as Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Kenny Wallace, Ken Schrader,[343] and Christopher Bell.[344] Kevin Lepage from Shelburne, Vermont is one of a few professional drivers from Vermont. Racing series in Vermont include NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, American Canadian Tour, and Vermont's own Tiger Sportsman Series.

Residents

The following were either born in Vermont or resided there for a substantial period during their lives and whose names are widely known.

In fiction

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Though this was tied by Big Black River, Maine, in 2009
  2. ^ Often pronounced [vəɹˈmɑ̃ʔ] in rural areas of the state.
  3. ^ Behind New Jersey
  4. ^ Average Property Taxes as % of Median Income: 5.4% (3rd Most in nation). Average Median Property Taxes Paid on Homes: $4,618 (3rd Most in nation); Unemployment Rate: 5.6% (5th lowest in the country); Average Median Income for Home Owners: $77,161 (7th Highest in the US)

References

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  2. ^ a b . United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  4. ^ a b c "2020 Census Apportionment Results". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  5. ^ "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  6. ^ State terrestrial fossil is the woolly mammoth of Mount Holly, state marine fossil is the beluga whale of Charlotte:
    • Vermont State Fossil – Mount Holly Mammoth & Charlotte Whale. FossilEra.
    • Beluga Whale Skeleton – Vermont State Marine Fossil. State Symbols USA.
    • Perkins Geology Museum, University of Vermont.
    • Paul Heller: History Space: Woolly mammoth of Mount Holly (Careful: mammoth mixed up with mastodon)
  7. ^ "Vermont". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  8. ^ . Chapter I, Section I: State of Vermont. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019. Therefore, no male person, born in this country, or brought from over sea, ought to be holden by law, to serve any person, as a servant, slave, or apprentice, after he arrives to the age of twenty-one years; nor female, in like manner, after she arrives to the age of eighteen years, unless they are bound by their own consent, after they arrive to such age, or bound by law for the payment of debts, damages, fines, costs, or the like.
  9. ^ Cox, Lee Ann (January 29, 2014). . University of Vermont. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019.
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vermont, this, article, about, state, other, uses, disambiguation, redirects, here, amtrak, train, service, train, listen, state, northeast, england, region, united, states, bordered, states, massachusetts, south, hampshire, east, york, west, canadian, provinc. This article is about the U S state For other uses see Vermont disambiguation Vermonter redirects here For the Amtrak train service see Vermonter train Vermont v er ˈ m ɒ n t listen 7 is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south New Hampshire to the east and New York to the west and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north Admitted to the union in 1791 as the 14th state it is the only state in New England not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean According to the 2020 U S census the state has a population of 643 503 4 ranking it the second least populated in the U S after Wyoming It is also the nation s sixth smallest state in area The state s capital Montpelier is the least populous state capital in the U S while its most populous city Burlington is the least populous to be a state s largest VermontStateState of VermontFlagSealNickname The Green Mountain StateMotto s Freedom and Unity and Stella quarta decima fulgeat May the 14th star shine bright Anthem These Green MountainsMap of the United States with Vermont highlightedCountryUnited StatesBefore statehoodVermont RepublicAdmitted to the UnionMarch 4 1791 14th CapitalMontpelierLargest cityBurlingtonLargest metro and urban areasBurlingtonGovernment GovernorPhil Scott R Lieutenant GovernorDavid Zuckerman P LegislatureGeneral Assembly Upper houseSenate Lower houseHouse of RepresentativesJudiciaryVermont Supreme CourtU S senatorsBernie Sanders I Peter Welch D U S House delegationBecca Balint D list Area Total9 616 sq mi 24 923 km2 Land9 250 sq mi 23 957 39 km2 Water382 sq mi 989 km2 4 1 Rank45thDimensions Length160 mi 260 km Width80 mi 130 km Elevation1 000 ft 300 m Highest elevation Mount Mansfield 1 2 3 4 395 ft 1 340 m Lowest elevation Lake Champlain 2 3 95 to 100 ft 29 to 30 m Population 2020 Total643 503 4 Rank49th Density67 7 sq mi 26 1 km2 Rank30th Median household income 57 513 5 Income rank26thDemonymVermonterLanguage Official languageNone English de facto Time zoneUTC 05 00 Eastern Summer DST UTC 04 00 EDT USPS abbreviationVTISO 3166 codeUS VTTraditional abbreviationVt Latitude42 44 N to 45 1 NLongitude71 28 W to 73 26 WWebsitewww wbr vermont wbr gov The template below Infobox U S state symbols is being considered for merging See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus Vermont state symbolsFlag of VermontLiving insigniaAmphibianNorthern leopard frogRana pipiensBirdHermit thrushCatharus guttatusFishBrook troutSalvelinus fontinalis WalleyeSander vitreous vitreousFlowerRed cloverTrifolium pratenseInsectWestern honey beeApis melliferaMammalMorgan horseReptilePainted turtleTreeSugar mapleAcer saccharumInanimate insigniaBeverageMilkFoodApple pieFossilWoolly mammoth beluga whale 6 GemstoneGrossular garnetMineralTalcRockGranite marble slateSoilTunbridgeState route markerState quarterReleased in 2001Lists of United States state symbolsFor some 12 000 years indigenous peoples have inhabited this area The competitive tribes of the Algonquian speaking Abenaki and Iroquoian speaking Mohawk were active in the area at the time of European encounter During the 17th century French colonists claimed the territory as part of the Kingdom of France s colony of New France After the Kingdom of Great Britain began to settle colonies to the south along the Atlantic coast the two nations competed in North America in addition to Europe After being defeated in 1763 in the Seven Years War France ceded its territory east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain Thereafter the nearby British Thirteen Colonies especially the provinces of New Hampshire and New York disputed the extent of the area called the New Hampshire Grants to the west of the Connecticut River encompassing present day Vermont The provincial government of New York sold land grants to settlers in the region which conflicted with earlier grants from the government of New Hampshire The Green Mountain Boys militia protected the interests of the established New Hampshire land grant settlers against the newly arrived settlers with land titles granted by New York Ultimately a group of settlers with New Hampshire land grant titles established the Vermont Republic in 1777 as an independent state during the American Revolutionary War The Vermont Republic abolished slavery before any of the other states 8 9 During the mid 19th century Vermont was a strong source of abolitionist sentiment although it was also tied to King Cotton through the development of textile mills in the region which relied on southern cotton It sent a significant contingent of soldiers to participate in the American Civil War The geography of the state is marked by the Green Mountains which run north south up the middle of the state separating Lake Champlain and other valley terrain on the west from the Connecticut River valley that defines much of its eastern border A majority of its terrain is forested with hardwoods and conifers and a majority of its open land is devoted to agriculture The state s climate is characterized by warm humid summers and cold snowy winters Vermont s economic activity of 34 billion in 2018 ranked last on the list of U S states and territories by GDP but 34th in GDP per capita In 2000 the state legislature was the first to recognize civil unions for same sex couples As of 2014 update the state ranked 14th on the American Human Development Index 10 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Native American 2 2 Colonial 2 3 Sovereignty 2 4 Revolutionary War 2 5 Admission to the Union 2 6 Civil War 2 7 Postbellum era to present 2 7 1 Demographic changes and rise of eugenics in 20th century 2 7 2 Political changes 3 Geography 3 1 Cities 3 2 Largest towns 3 3 Climate 3 3 1 Climate change 3 4 Geology 3 5 Fauna 3 6 Flora 4 Demographics 4 1 Population 4 1 1 Birth data 4 2 Dialect 4 3 Religion 5 Economy 5 1 Personal income 5 2 Agriculture 5 2 1 Dairy farming 5 2 2 Forestry 5 2 3 Other 5 3 Manufacturing 5 4 Energy 5 5 Health 5 6 Labor 5 7 Insurance 5 8 Recreation 5 8 1 Hunting 5 8 2 Skiing and snowmobiling 5 9 Quarrying 5 10 Non profits and volunteerism 6 Education 6 1 Higher education 7 Transportation 7 1 Road 7 1 1 Major north south routes 7 1 2 Major east west routes 7 2 Ferry 7 3 Rail 7 4 Intercity bus 7 5 Local bus 7 6 Air 8 Media 8 1 Newspapers of record 8 2 Broadcast media 9 Electrical utilities 10 Public health 11 Law and government 11 1 Finances and taxation 11 2 Politics 11 2 1 State politics 11 2 2 Federal politics 12 Culture 13 Sports 13 1 Winter sports 13 2 Baseball 13 3 Basketball 13 4 Football 13 5 Hockey 13 6 Soccer 13 7 Motorsport 14 Residents 14 1 In fiction 15 See also 16 Notes 17 References 18 Bibliography 18 1 Sources 19 External links 19 1 General 19 2 Government 19 3 Geology 19 4 Maps and demographics 19 5 Tourism and recreation 19 6 Business 19 7 Culture and historyEtymologySamuel de Champlain claimed the area around what is now Lake Champlain giving the name Vert Mont Green Mountain to the region he found on a 1647 map 11 Evidence suggests that this name came into use among English settlers before it morphed to Vermont ca 1760 12 13 In 1777 Thomas Young introduced the name in writing with a broadside To the Inhabitants of Vermont a Free and Independent State 12 HistoryMain article History of Vermont Native American Between 8500 and 7000 BCE at the time of the Champlain Sea Native Americans inhabited and hunted in present day Vermont During the Archaic period from the 8th millennium BCE to 1000 BCE Native Americans migrated year round During the Woodland period from 1000 BCE to 1600 CE they established villages and trade networks and developed ceramic and bow and arrow technology Their population in 1500 CE was estimated to be around 10 000 people 14 During colonial times where encounters and settlement were initiated by French colonists the territory was occupied mainly by an Abenaki tribe known as the Sokoki or Missisquois The eastern part of the state may have also been occupied by the Androscoggin and Pennacook peoples 14 To the west the Missisquois competed with the Iroquoian Mohawk based in the Mohawk valley but with a large territory and the Algonquin Mohican peoples 14 Many of the tribes later formed the Wabanaki Confederacy during King Philip s War The warfare by English colonists defeated and scattered most of the surviving Abenaki tribes 15 Colonial Main articles New France Canada New France Province of New York Dominion of New England French and Indian War Treaty of Paris 1763 and Indian Reserve 1763 See also List of forts in Vermont The Old Constitution House at Windsor where the Constitution of Vermont was adopted on July 8 1777 A circa 1775 flag used by the Green Mountain Boys The first European to see Vermont is thought to have been French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1535 On July 30 1609 French explorer Samuel de Champlain claimed this territory as part of New France In 1666 French settlers erected Fort Sainte Anne on Isle La Motte 16 the first European settlement in Vermont The violent 1638 New Hampshire earthquake was centered in the St Lawrence Valley and reported throughout New England This was the first seismic event noted in Vermont 17 In 1690 a group of Dutch British settlers from Albany established a settlement and trading post at Chimney Point 8 miles 13 km west of present day Addison citation needed During Dummer s War the first permanent English settlement was established in 1724 with the construction of Fort Dummer It was intended to protect the nearby settlements of Dummerston and Brattleboro 18 From 1731 to 1734 the French constructed Fort St Frederic which gave them control of the New France Vermont frontier region in the Lake Champlain Valley With the outbreak of the French and Indian War in 1754 the North American front of the Seven Years War between the French and British the French began construction in 1755 of Fort Carillon at present day Ticonderoga New York The British failed to take either fort between 1755 and 1758 In 1759 a combined force of 12 000 British regular and provincial troops under Sir Jeffery Amherst captured Carillon in the Battle of Ticonderoga after which the French abandoned Fort St Frederic Amherst constructed Fort Crown Point next to the remains of the Fort St Frederic securing British control over the area citation needed Following France s loss in the French and Indian War through the 1763 Treaty of Paris it ceded control of land east of the Mississippi River to the British The Crown attempted to limit colonial settlement to lands east of the Appalachians in order to prohibit encroachment on Native American lands The territory of Vermont was divided nearly in half in a jagged line running from Fort William Henry in Lake George diagonally north eastward to Lake Memphremagog citation needed With the end of the war new settlers arrived in Vermont Ultimately Massachusetts New Hampshire and New York all claimed this frontier area 19 On July 20 1764 King George III established the boundary between New Hampshire and New York along the west bank of the Connecticut River north of Massachusetts and south of 45 degrees north latitude 20 New York refused to recognize the land titles known as the New Hampshire Grants towns created by land grants sold by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth and dissatisfied New Hampshire settlers organized in opposition In 1770 Ethan Allen his brothers Ira and Levi and the Allens cousins Seth Warner and Remember Baker recruited an informal militia known as the Green Mountain Boys to protect the interests of the original New Hampshire settlers against newcomers from New York citation needed In 1775 after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War the Green Mountain Boys assisted a force from Connecticut led by Benedict Arnold in capturing the British fort at Ticonderoga Thereafter the Continental Congress in Philadelphia directed the New York colony s revolutionary congress to fund and equip Allen s militia as a ranger regiment of the Continental Army which it did Seth Warner was chosen by the men of the regiment to lead while Ethan Allen later served as a colonel in Schuyler s Army of Northern New York 21 Sovereignty Main articles Vermont Republic and Constitution of Vermont 1777 The gold leaf dome of the neoclassical Vermont State House Capitol in Montpelier On January 15 1777 representatives of the New Hampshire Grants declared the independence of Vermont 22 For the first six months of its existence it was called the Republic of New Connecticut 23 On June 2 1777 a second convention of 72 delegates met and adopted the name Vermont This was on the advice of a friendly Pennsylvanian Dr Thomas Young friend and mentor of Ethan Allen He was advising them on how to achieve admission into the newly independent United States of America as the 14th state 23 On July 4 they completed the drafting of the Constitution of Vermont at the Windsor Tavern and adopted it on July 8 This was the first written constitution in North America to ban adult slavery 24 saying male slaves become free at the age of 21 and females at 18 It provided for universal adult male suffrage and required support of public schools It was in effect from 1777 to 1786 25 Revolutionary War Main articles American Revolutionary War Northern theater of the American Revolutionary War and Treaty of Paris 1783 The Battle of Bennington fought on August 16 1777 was a seminal event in the history of the state of Vermont and the United States A combined American force under General John Stark s command attacked the Hessian column at Hoosick New York just across the border from Bennington It killed or captured virtually the entire Hessian detachment General Burgoyne never recovered from this loss and eventually surrendered the remainder of his 6 000 man force at Saratoga New York on October 17 that year 26 The battles of Bennington and Saratoga together are recognized as the turning point in the Revolutionary War because they were the first major defeat of a British army The anniversary of the battle is still celebrated in Vermont as a legal holiday The Battle of Hubbardton July 7 1777 was the only Revolutionary battle within the present boundaries of Vermont Although the Continental forces were technically defeated the British forces were damaged to the point that they did not pursue the Americans retreating from Fort Ticonderoga any further Admission to the Union Main articles Admission to the Union and List of U S states by date of admission to the Union 1791 Act of Congress admitting Vermont into the Union Vermont continued to govern itself as a sovereign entity based in the eastern town of Windsor for 14 years The independent state of Vermont issued its own coinage from 1785 to 1788 27 and operated a national postal service Thomas Chittenden was the Governor in 1778 89 and in 1790 91 Because the state of New York continued to assert a disputed claim that Vermont was a part of New York Vermont could not be admitted to the Union under Article IV Section 3 of the Constitution until the legislature of New York consented On March 6 1790 the legislature made its consent contingent upon a negotiated agreement on the precise boundary between the two states When commissioners from New York and Vermont met to decide on the boundary Vermont s negotiators insisted on also settling the property ownership disputes with New Yorkers rather than leaving that to be decided later in a federal court 28 The negotiations were successfully concluded in October 1790 with an agreement that Vermont would pay 30 000 to New York to be distributed among New Yorkers who claimed land in Vermont under New York land patents 29 In January 1791 a convention in Vermont voted 105 4 30 to petition Congress to become a state in the federal union Congress acted on February 18 1791 to admit Vermont to the Union as the 14th state as of March 4 1791 31 Vermont became the first state to enter the Union after the original 13 states The revised constitution of 1786 which established a greater separation of powers continued in effect until 1793 two years after Vermont s admission to the Union Under the Act To Secure Freedom to All Persons Within This State 32 slavery was officially banned by state law on November 25 1858 less than three years before the American Civil War 33 34 35 Vermonters provided refuge in several sites for escaped slaves fleeing to Canada as part of what was called the Underground Railroad 36 Civil War Main article Vermont in the American Civil War Vermont in 1827 The county boundaries have since changed From the mid 1850s on some Vermonters became activists opposing slavery which they had previously worked to contain in the South Abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens was born in Vermont and later represented a district in Pennsylvania in Congress He developed as a national leader and later promoted Radical Republican goals after the American Civil War While the Whig Party shriveled and the Republican Party emerged Vermont supported Republican candidates In 1860 it voted for Abraham Lincoln giving him the largest margin of victory of any state 37 During the American Civil War Vermont sent 33 288 men into United States service 5 224 Vermonters more than 15 percent were killed 38 The northernmost land action of the war was the St Albans Raid the robbery of three St Albans banks perpetrated in October 1864 by 21 Confederate agents A posse pursued the Confederate raiders into Canada and captured several of them They had to turn their captives over to Canadian officials Canada reimbursed the banks released and later re arrested some of the perpetrators 39 40 Postbellum era to present Demographic changes and rise of eugenics in 20th century This section may lend undue weight to certain ideas incidents or controversies Please help improve it by rewriting it in a balanced fashion that contextualizes different points of view December 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message As English speakers came to dominate the population in Vermont they anglicized the names of many ethnic French residents and often discriminated against them In the mid 20th century descendants began to reclaim their French names especially surnames Beginning in the mid 19th century Vermont industries attracted numerous Irish Scots Irish and Italian immigrants adding to its residents of mostly English and some French Canadian ancestry Many of the immigrants migrated to Barre where the men worked as stonecutters of granite for which there was a national market Vermont granite was used in major public buildings in many states In this period many Italian and Scottish women operated boarding houses to support their families Such facilities also helped absorb new residents and help them learn the new culture European immigrants peaked in number between 1890 and 1900 Typically immigrants boarded with people of their own language and ethnicity but sometimes they boarded with others 41 Gradually the new immigrants were absorbed into the state Times of tension aroused divisions In the early 20th century some people in Vermont became alarmed about what they considered to be a decline in rural areas people left farming to move to cities and others seemed unable to fit within society In addition there was a wave of immigration by French Canadians and Protestant Anglo Americans feared being overtaken by the new immigrants who added to the Catholic population of Irish and Italians Based on the colonial past some Yankee residents considered the French Canadians to have intermarried too frequently with Native Americans 42 In an era influenced by ideas of Social Darwinism some Vermont leaders promoted eugenics an idea that the population could be managed and improved by limiting marriage and reproduction by certain members classified as unfit or defective It passed a marriage law to limit marriage by people considered unfit In 1915 the Brandon State School opened the beginning of a related effort to segregate and control those judged unfit to reproduce 42 The state followed efforts to improve children s welfare by establishing other institutions to house the mentally ill or disabled From 1925 to 1928 the Eugenics Survey of Vermont conducted research and recorded the histories of families it determined were degenerate or dependent It also attempted to educate the public about why restrictive measures including voluntary sterilization were desirable Review by current historians reveals the results were socially prejudiced as the surveys tended to target the poor and disenfranchised minorities including French Canadians Abenaki and disabled 42 In 1931 Vermont was the 29th state to pass a eugenics law Vermont like other states sterilized some patients in institutions and persons it had identified through surveys as degenerate or unfit It nominally had permission from the patients or their guardians but abuses have been documented Two thirds of the sterilizations were done on women and poor unwed mothers were targeted among others The surgery was performed at institutions and hospitals in the state supposedly devoted to care of people in need There is disagreement about how many sterilizations were performed most were completed from 1931 to 1941 but such procedures were recorded as late as 1970 42 Political changes Vermont approved women s suffrage decades before it became part of the national constitution Women were first allowed to vote in the elections of December 18 1880 when women were granted limited suffrage They were first allowed to vote in town elections and later in state legislative races In 1964 the U S Supreme Court decision in Reynolds v Sims required one man one vote redistricting in all states It had found that many state legislatures had not redistricted and were unjustly dominated by rural interests years after the development of densely populated and industrial urban areas In addition it found that many states had an upper house based on geographical jurisdictions such as counties This gave disproportionate power to rural and lightly populated counties The court ruled there was no basis for such a structure Major changes in political apportionment took place in Vermont and other affected states This ruling required districts to be reassessed after every census and to be based on roughly equal population rather than geography such as counties Under redistricting residents in urban areas were to gain an equitable share of apportionment in both houses in every state Vermont and some other northern states had long been dominated by rural districts as were several Southern states in those years who had not redistricted since the turn of the century 43 Until that time apportionment of upper houses was often based on county jurisdictions which had given more power to rural counties and failed to acknowledge the increased population in urban areas This arrangement had meant that urban areas did not have proportionate political power and often suffered from underinvestment in needed infrastructure other urban issues were also neglected by rural dominated legislatures 43 In July 2000 Vermont became the first state to introduce civil unions In 2009 Vermont became the first state to legalize same sex marriage unforced by court challenge or ruling 44 In 2002 the State of Vermont reported that the Abenaki people had migrated north to Quebec by the end of the 17th century 45 however in 2011 the State of Vermont designated the Elnu Abenaki Tribe and the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation as state recognized tribes in 2012 it recognized the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi and the Koasek Traditional Band of the Koos Abenaki Nation In 2016 the state governor proclaimed Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day 46 Vermont has no federally recognized tribes 47 On January 22 2018 Vermont became the first of the United States to legalize cannabis for recreational use by legislative action and the ninth state in the United States to legalize marijuana for medical purposes This law was signed by Republican Governor Phil Scott 48 GeographySee also List of counties in Vermont List of towns in Vermont and List of mountains of Vermont Map of Vermont showing cities roads and rivers Population density of Vermont Mount Mansfield Western face of Camel s Hump Mountain elevation 4 079 feet 1 243 m 49 Fall foliage at Lake Willoughby Vermont is located in the New England region of the northeastern United States and comprises 9 614 square miles 24 900 km2 making it the 45th largest state It is the only state that does not have any buildings taller than 124 feet 38 m 50 Land comprises 9 250 square miles 24 000 km2 and water comprises 365 square miles 950 km2 making it the 43rd largest in land area and the 47th in water area In total area it is larger than El Salvador and smaller than Haiti It is the only landlocked state in New England and it is the easternmost and the smallest in area of all landlocked states The Green Mountains in Vermont form a north south spine running most of the length of the state slightly west of its center In the southwest portion of the state are located the Taconic Mountains 51 In the northwest near Lake Champlain is the fertile Champlain Valley In the south of the valley is Lake Bomoseen The west bank of the Connecticut River marks the state s eastern border with New Hampshire though much of the river flows within New Hampshire s territory 52 41 of Vermont s land area is part of the Connecticut River s watershed 53 Lake Champlain the sixth largest body of fresh water in the United States separates Vermont from New York in the northwest portion of the state From north to south Vermont is 159 miles 256 km long Its greatest width from east to west is 89 miles 143 km at the Canada U S border the narrowest width is 37 miles 60 km near the Massachusetts border The width averages 60 5 miles 97 4 km The state s geographic center is approximately three miles 5 km east of Roxbury in Washington County There are fifteen U S federal border crossings between Vermont and Canada Several mountains have timberlines with delicate year round alpine ecosystems including Mount Mansfield the highest mountain in the state Killington Peak the second highest Camel s Hump the state s third highest and Mount Abraham the fifth highest peak 54 Areas in Vermont administered by the National Park Service include the Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail 55 The topography and climate make sections of Vermont subject to large scale flooding Incidents include the Great Vermont Flood of 1927 which killed 84 and damaged much of the state s infrastructure 56 the flood of 1973 which covered many of the state s roads in the southeast 57 and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 which caused substantial damage throughout the state 58 In response to the 1927 flood the Federal government funded construction of six flood control dams in the state run by the Army Corps of Engineers 59 These extreme rain and flooding events are expected to get worse with climate change 60 Cities Vermont has ten incorporated cities City populations 2020 census City PopulationBurlington 44 743South Burlington 20 292Rutland 15 807Essex Junction 10 761Barre 8 491Montpelier 8 074Winooski 7 997St Albans 6 877Newport 4 455Vergennes 2 553The most populous city in Vermont is Burlington Its metropolitan area is also the most populous in the state with an estimate of 225 562 as of 2020 Largest towns Although these towns are large enough to be considered cities they are not incorporated as such Large town populations 2020 census Town PopulationEssex 22 094Colchester 17 524Bennington 15 333Brattleboro 12 184Milton 10 723Hartford 10 686Williston 10 103Middlebury 9 152Springfield 9 062Barre 7 923Shelburne 7 717St Johnsbury 7 364Climate See also Climate of New England Koppen climate types of Vermont using 1991 2020 climate normals The annual mean temperature for the state is 43 F 6 C 61 Vermont has a humid continental climate with muddy springs in general a mild early summer hot Augusts it has colorful autumns Vermont s hills reveal red orange and on sugar maples gold foliage as cold weather approaches 62 Winters are colder at higher elevations 63 It has a Koppen climate classification of Dfb a temperate continental climate 64 The rural northeastern section known as the Northeast Kingdom often averages 10 F 5 6 C colder than the southern areas of the state during winter The annual snowfall averages between 60 and 100 inches 1 500 and 2 500 mm depending on elevation Vermont is the seventh coldest state in the country 65 The highest recorded temperature was 105 F 41 C at Vernon on July 4 1911 The lowest recorded temperature was 50 F 46 C at Bloomfield on December 30 1933 this is the lowest temperature recorded in New England alongside Big Black River which recorded a verified 50 F 46 C in 2009 a 66 The agricultural growing season ranges from 120 to 180 days 67 The United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones for the state range between zone 3b no colder than 35 F 37 C in the Northeast Kingdom and northern part of the state and zone 5b no colder than 15 F 26 C in the southern part of the state 68 The state receives between 2 200 and 2 400 hours of sunshine annually New England as a whole receives a range of less than 2 000 hours of sunshine in part of New Hampshire to as much as 2 600 hours of sunshine per year in Connecticut and Rhode Island 69 Climate change Main article Climate change in Vermont Climate change in Vermont encompasses the effects of climate change attributed to man made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide in the U S state of Vermont The state is already seeing effects of climate change that affect its ecosystems economy and public health According to the Vermont state government rainfall has significantly increased in the last 50 years storms and flooding have increased and winters have become warmer and shorter 70 These changes have led to significant impacts on both the winter tourism industry 71 and a decline in critical agricultural and woodland industries like maple sugaring 72 The state openly acknowledges and is developing programs that respond to global warming 73 Vermont was one of the first states in the United States to adopt greenhouse gas emissions goals in 2006 Geology Silurian and Devonian stratigraphy of Vermont Further information Geology of New England There are five distinct physiographic regions of Vermont 74 Categorized by geological and physical attributes they are the Northeastern Highlands the Green Mountains the Taconic Mountains the Champlain Lowlands and the Vermont Piedmont 75 About 500 million years ago Vermont was part of Laurentia and located in the tropics 76 The central and southern Green Mountain range include the oldest rocks in Vermont formed about one billion years ago during the first mountain building period or orogeny Subsequently about 400 million years ago the second mountain building period created Green Mountain peaks that were 15 000 20 000 feet 4 600 6 100 m tall three to four times their current height and comparable to the Himalayas The geological pressures that created those peaks remain evident as the Champlain Thrust running north south to the west of the mountains now the eastern shore of Lake Champlain It is an example of geological fault thrusting where bedrock is pushed over the newer rock formation As a result of tectonic formation Vermont east of the Green Mountains tends to be formed from rocks produced in the Silurian and Devonian periods and western Vermont mainly from the older Pre Cambrian and Cambrian material 77 Several large deposits within the state contain granite 78 The remains of the Chazy Formation can be observed in Isle La Motte It was one of the first tropical reefs It is the site of the limestone Fisk Quarry which contains a collection of ancient marine fossils such as stromatoporoids that date to 200 million years ago At one point Vermont is believed to have been connected to Africa Pangaea the fossils found and the rock formations found on the coasts in both Africa and America are evidence affirming the Pangaea theory 79 80 81 In the past four centuries Vermont has experienced a few earthquakes rarely centered under the state The highest ranked in 1952 had a Richter magnitude scale 6 0 and was based in Canada 17 Fauna The hermit thrush the state bird of Vermont The state contains 41 species of reptiles and amphibians including the spring peeper 89 species of fish of which 12 are non native 82 193 species of breeding birds 58 species of mammals including black bears eastern chipmunks coyotes fishers red and gray foxes porcupines and woodchucks more than 15 000 insect species including luna moths and 2 000 higher plant species plus fungi algae and 75 different types of natural communities 83 Vermont contains one species of venomous snake the timber rattlesnake which is confined to a few acres in western Rutland County 84 Wildlife has suffered because of human development of the state By the mid 19th century wild turkeys were exterminated in the state through overhunting and destruction of habitat Sixteen were re introduced in 1969 and had grown to a flock estimated to number 45 000 in 2009 85 In 2013 hunters killed 6 968 of these 86 Since 1970 reduction of farmland has resulted in reduced environment for and resulted in a decline in numbers of various shrubland birds including the American woodcock brown thrasher eastern towhee willow flycatcher golden winged warbler blue winged warbler field sparrow and Baltimore oriole 87 Ospreys whose eggs were previously damaged by DDT began to reappear in 1998 and by 2010 were no longer endangered in the state 88 Several species have declined or disappeared from the state including bats many of which have been killed by white nose syndrome 89 the New England cottontail out competed by the eastern cottontail rabbit 90 and the yellow banded bumblebee gone as one of 19 species of bee in decline 91 92 Invasive species and organisms include the Asian spotted wing drosophila a destroyer of crops 93 and eastern equine encephalitis virus whose antibodies were found in moose or deer in each of Vermont s counties 94 Flora Vermont is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome Much of the state in particular the Green Mountains is covered by the conifers and northern hardwoods of the New England Acadian forests The western border with New York and the area around Lake Champlain lies within the Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests The southwest corner of the state and parts of the Connecticut River are covered by northeastern coastal forests of mixed oak 95 Invasive wild honeysuckle has been deemed a threat to the state s forests native species of plants and wildlife 96 Many of Vermont s rivers including the Winooski River have been subjected to man made barriers to prevent flooding citation needed Climate change appears to be affecting the maple sugar industry Sugar maples have been subject to stress by acid rain asian longhorn beetles and pear thrips In 2011 the deer herd had grown too large for habitat and many resorted to eating bark to survive the winter destroying trees in the process In addition the sugar maples need a certain period of cold to produce sap for maple syrup The time to tap these trees has shrunk to one week in some years The tree may be replaced by the more aggressive Norway maples in effect forcing the sugar maples to migrate north to Canada 97 DemographicsHistorical populationCensus Pop 179085 425 1800154 46580 8 1810217 89541 1 1820235 9818 3 1830280 65218 9 1840291 9484 0 1850314 1207 6 1860315 0980 3 1870330 5514 9 1880332 2860 5 1890332 4220 0 1900343 6413 4 1910355 9563 6 1920352 428 1 0 1930359 6112 0 1940359 231 0 1 1950377 7475 2 1960389 8813 2 1970444 33014 0 1980511 45615 1 1990562 75810 0 2000608 8278 2 2010625 7412 8 2020643 0772 8 2022 est 647 0640 6 Source 1910 2020 98 Population According to the United States Census Bureau the state of Vermont had a population of 643 503 in the 2020 U S census 4 At the July 1 2019 Population Estimates Program Vermont had an estimated population of 623 989 99 This included a natural increase of 3 178 31 716 births minus 28 538 deaths and a decrease due to net migration of 2 432 people out of the state 100 In 2006 it had the second lowest birthrate in the nation 42 1000 women 101 The center of population of Vermont is located in Washington County in the town of Warren 102 As of 2014 51 3 of Vermont s population was born in the state compared with 58 7 for the United States 103 The changing demographics between those with multi generational ties to the state and those who are newcomers bringing different values with them has resulted in a degree of tension between the two perspectives This tension is expressed in the terms Woodchuck being applied to those established in the state and Flatlander applied to the newcomers 104 Vermont is the least populous New England state As of 2012 Vermont was one of only two states in the U S with fewer people than the District of Columbia Wyoming was the other 105 From 2010 to 2013 16 out of Vermont s 251 towns experienced an increase in population All towns in Chittenden increased with the exception of Burlington More than 180 towns experienced a decrease which had not happened since the mid 19th century 106 As of 2010 Vermont was the second most rural state in the country following Maine with 61 of the population living in rural areas 107 Birth data Note Births in table do not add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race giving a higher overall number Live births by single race ethnicity of mother Race 2013 108 2014 109 2015 110 2016 111 2017 112 2018 113 2019 114 2020 115 White 5 696 95 3 5 825 95 0 5 554 94 1 gt non Hispanic White 5 597 93 7 5 724 93 4 5 370 91 0 5 208 90 5 5 134 90 8 4 934 90 8 4 856 90 6 4 646 90 5 Asian 153 2 6 163 2 7 175 3 0 154 2 7 159 2 8 152 2 8 122 2 3 137 2 7 Black 115 1 9 126 2 1 149 2 5 70 1 2 115 2 0 118 2 2 133 2 5 108 2 1 American Indian 11 0 2 16 0 3 25 0 4 11 0 2 16 0 3 12 0 2 11 0 2 15 0 3 Hispanic of any race 92 1 5 92 1 5 139 2 3 136 2 3 123 2 2 121 2 2 124 2 3 132 2 6 Total Vermont 5 975 100 6 130 100 5 903 100 5 756 100 5 655 100 5 432 100 5 361 100 5 133 100 Since 2016 data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected but included in one Hispanic group persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race Of the population 94 3 of the state identified as white not of Hispanic or Latino origin in a 2013 U S census estimate 116 As of the 2010 census Vermont was the second whitest state in the U S after Maine 117 It has the smallest number of Hispanics of any state in the country but not the lowest percentage of Hispanics which is found in West Virginia 118 In 2009 12 6 of people over 15 were divorced This was the fifth highest percentage in the nation 119 As of 2008 the median age of Vermonters was 40 6 and that of the work force was 43 7 compared with the national average of 41 1 years 120 Vermont leads U S states with the highest rates of LGBT identification at 5 3 121 Its LGBT population density is second in the U S only to the District of Columbia 121 Following national trends for opioid use people seeking treatment for opioid addiction in Vermont increased from 650 in 2011 to 7 500 in 2016 122 Dialect Main articles Western New England English and Eastern New England English Linguists have identified speech patterns found among Vermonters as belonging to Western New England English a dialect of New England English which features full pronunciation of all r sounds pronouncing horse and hoarse the same and pronouncing vowels in father and bother the same none of which are features traditionally shared in neighboring Eastern New England English 123 Some rural speakers realize the t as a glottal stop mitten sounds like mi in and Vermont like Vermon b 124 A dwindling segment of the Vermont population generally both rural and male pronounces certain vowels in a distinctive manner e g cows with a raised vowel as kʰɛʊz and ride with a backed somewhat rounded vowel as ɹɒɪd 125 Eastern New England English also found in New Hampshire Maine and eastern Massachusetts was common in eastern Vermont in the mid twentieth century and before but has become rare 126 This accent drops the r sound in words ending in r farmer sounds like farm uh and adds an r sound to some words ending in a vowel idea sounds like idee er was common 127 126 Those characteristics in eastern Vermont appear to have been inherited from West Country 128 and Scots Irish ancestors 129 Vermont is one of three states along with Maine and New Hampshire where French is the second most spoken language at home which is largely due to the state s proximity to the Province of Quebec New England French a unique dialect spoken in many of Vermont s francophone homes is derived from Quebec French in contrast to the Brayon French which predominates in the francophone regions of northern Maine which were settled primarily by Acadians Religion Religion in Vermont 2020 130 Religion PercentChristian 64 Protestant 39 Catholic 22 Unaffiliated 30 Muslim 1 Other 4 According to the Pew Research Center in 2014 37 reported no religion the highest rate of irreligion of all U S states 131 The Pew Research Center also determined the largest religion was Christianity 132 Catholics made 22 of the population and Protestants were 30 In contrast with Southern U S trends the majority of Protestants are Mainline Protestant dominated by Methodism The United Methodist Church was the largest Mainline Protestant denomination in Vermont followed by the American Baptist Churches USA and United Church of Christ Evangelical Protestants were dominated by independent Baptist churches Major non Christian religions were Judaism Islam Buddhism Hinduism and other faiths The largest non Christian religious group outside of irreligion were Unitarians An estimated 3 1 of the irreligious were atheist 132 With the publication of a study by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2020 Christianity spread among Protestantism Catholicism and non mainstream Christians including Mormonism and the Jehovah s Witnesses were approximately 64 of the adult population 133 The religiously unaffiliated were determined to be an estimated 30 of the total adult population according to the Public Religion Research Institute Additionally the Association of Religion Data Archives reported that the single largest denominations were the following the Catholic Church 124 208 United Church of Christ 11 882 and the United Methodist Church 9 652 Non denominational Protestants numbered 29 830 134 EconomyThis section needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information April 2022 A proportional representation of Vermont exports 2020 In 2016 Vermont had a total employment of 262 705 and the total employer establishments were 21 174 135 In 2019 VermontBiz reported a WalletHub ranking of Vermont 43rd as place to start a business citing Vermont as 49th in average growth of small businesses and 50th in the availability of human capital 136 CNBC ranked Vermont 32nd as a place to do business in 2018 citing access to capital as the largest impediment 137 While U S News ranked Vermont 37th for business environment it ranked it 18th for employment in 2019 138 Forbes magazine as the 42nd best state in which to do business in 2015 139 32nd in 2007 and 30th in 2006 140 As of 2017 Vermont s gross regional domestic product GDP was 19 3 billion making it the second smallest among the 50 states Its per capita GDP was 51 600 ranking it 34th among the states 141 Components of GDP were 142 143 Government 3 billion 13 4 Real estate rental and leasing 2 6 billion 11 6 Durable goods manufacturing 2 2 billion 9 6 Health care and social assistance 2 1 billion 9 4 Retail trade 1 9 billion 8 4 Finance and insurance 1 3 billion 5 9 Construction 1 2 billion 5 5 Professional and technical services 1 2 billion 5 5 Wholesale trade 1 1 billion 5 1 Accommodations and food services 1 billion 4 5 Information 958 million 4 2 Non durable goods manufacturing 711 million 3 1 Other services 563 million 2 4 Utilities 553 million 2 4 Educational services 478 million 2 1 Transportation and warehousing 484 million 2 1 Administrative and waste services 436 million 1 9 Agriculture forestry fishing and hunting 375 million 1 6 Arts entertainment and recreation 194 million 8 Mining 100 million 4 Management of companies 35 million 2 Canada was Vermont s largest foreign trade partner in 2007 The state s second largest foreign trade partner was Taiwan 144 The state had 4 billion worth of commerce with Quebec 145 One measure of economic activity in Vermont is retail sales The state had 5 2 billion in 2007 146 In 2008 8 631 new businesses were registered in Vermont a decline of 500 from 2007 147 Personal income See also Vermont locations by per capita income In 2019 the state had a median household income of 61 973 Approximately 10 2 of the population lived at or below the poverty line 148 The median household income from 2002 to 2004 was 45 692 This was 15th nationally 149 The median wage in the state in 2008 was 15 31 hourly or 31 845 annually 150 In 2007 about 80 of the 68 000 Vermonters who qualify for food stamps received them 151 40 of seniors 75 years or older live on annual incomes of 21 660 or less 152 In 2011 15 2 of Vermonters received food stamps This compares to 14 8 nationally 153 In 2011 91 000 seniors received an annual average of 14 000 from Social Security This was 59 of the average senior s income This contributed 1 7 billion to the state s economy 154 Agriculture Fall foliage seen from Hogback Mountain Wilmington Agriculture contributed 2 2 of the state s domestic product in 2000 155 In 2000 about 3 of the state s working population engaged in agriculture 156 As of 2014 the Pew Research Center estimated that farms in the state employed fewer than 5 000 illegal immigrants 157 In 2017 Vermont Governor Phil Scott announced that the state was exploring a legal challenge to the executive order signed by President Donald Trump for Vermont law enforcement authorities to cooperate with U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement and perform the functions of immigration officers in relation to the investigation apprehension or detention of aliens 158 Dairy farming Main article Vermont dairy industry Dairy farming is the primary source of agricultural income In the second half of the 20th century developers had plans to build condos and houses on what was relatively inexpensive open land Vermont s government responded with a series of laws controlling development and with some pioneering initiatives to prevent the loss of Vermont s dairy industry Still the number of Vermont dairy farms has declined more than 85 from the 11 206 dairy farms operating in 1947 In 2003 there were fewer than 1 500 dairy farms in the state in 2006 there were 1 138 in 2019 there were 658 159 The number of dairy farms has been diminishing by 10 annually 160 80 of open land is controlled by dairy farms 159 The number of cattle in Vermont had declined by 40 however milk production has doubled in the same period due to tripling the production per cow 161 While milk production rose Vermont s market share declined Within a group of states supplying the Boston and New York City markets called Federal order Class I 162 Vermont was third in market share with 10 6 New York has 44 9 and Pennsylvania has 32 9 163 In 2007 dairy farmers received a record 23 60 for 100 pounds 45 kg 11 63 gallons at 2 03 gallon of milk This dropped in 2008 to 17 1 46 gallon 164 The average dairy farm produced 1 3 million pounds of milk annually in 2008 165 The dairy barn remains an iconic image of Vermont but the 87 decrease in active dairy farms between 1947 and 2003 166 means that preservation of the dairy barns has increasingly become dependent upon a commitment to maintaining a legacy rather than basic need in the agricultural economy The Vermont Barn Census organized by a collaboration of educational and nonprofit state and local historic preservation programs has developed educational and administrative systems for recording the number condition and features of barns throughout Vermont 167 In 2009 there were 543 organic farms Twenty percent of the dairy farms were organic and 23 128 vegetable farms were organic Organic farming increased in 2006 07 but leveled off in 2008 09 168 A significant amount of milk is shipped into the Boston market Therefore the Commonwealth of Massachusetts certifies that Vermont farms meet Massachusetts sanitary standards Without this certification a farmer may not sell milk for distribution into the bulk market 169 In 2019 two thirds of all milk in New England was produced by Vermont dairies 159 Forestry Forest products have always been a staple to the economy comprising 1 of the total gross state output and 9 of total manufacturing as of 2013 170 In 2007 Windham County contained the largest concentration of kilns for drying lumber east of the Mississippi River The decline of farms has resulted in a regrowth of Vermont s forests due to ecological succession Today most of Vermont s forests are secondary The state and non profit organizations are actively encouraging regrowth and careful forest management Over 78 of the land area of the state is forested compared to only 37 in the 1880s when sheep farming was at its peak and large amounts of acreage were cleared for grazing 171 Over 85 of that area is non industrial private forestland owned by individuals or families In 2013 73 054 million cubic feet 2 068 7 million cubic meters of wood was harvested in Vermont 172 A large amount of Vermont forest products are exports with 21 504 million feet 6 554 109 meters being shipped overseas plus an additional 16 384 million cubic feet 463 9 million cubic meters to Canada 172 Most of it was processed within the state In this century the manufacture of wood products has fallen by almost half The annual net growth has been estimated at 172 810 million cubic feet 4 893 million cubic meters 172 The USDA estimates that 8 584 billion cubic feet 243 1 billion cubic meters remain in the state 172 Forest products also add to carbon sequestration since lumber and timber used in houses and furniture hold carbon for long periods of time while the trees that were removed are replaced overtime with new growing stock 173 In 2017 the price of wood products had either plummeted or remained the same when compared to previous decades which meant there was cause for concern with jobs in the industry For example in 1994 the price of a thousand board feet was 300 the same as it was in 2017 The price of wood chips has halved in the same time frame In 1980 the price for a cord of wood was 50 in 2017 25 For lack of demand Vermont s forests are growing twice as fast as they are being cut 174 Other An important and growing part of Vermont s economy is the manufacture and sale of artisan foods fancy foods and novelty items trading in part upon the Vermont brand which the state manages and defends Examples of these specialty exports include Cabot Cheese the Vermont Teddy Bear Company Fine Paints of Europe Vermont Butter and Cheese Company several microbreweries ginseng growers Burton Snowboards King Arthur Flour and Ben and Jerry s Ice Cream As of 2019 Vermont was the leading producer of maple syrup in the United States 175 There were about 2 000 maple products producers in 2010 176 Production rose to 920 000 US gallons 3 500 000 l 770 000 imp gal in 2009 177 The state s share of the nation s production rose to 42 in 2013 It had the second lowest price at 33 40 gallon 178 The wine industry in Vermont started in 1985 As of 2007 there were 14 wineries 179 Manufacturing As of 2015 GlobalFoundries was the largest private employer in the state and provides jobs to 3 000 employees at its plant in the village of Essex Junction within Chittenden County 180 A 2010 University of Connecticut study reported that Vermont Rhode Island and New Hampshire tied as the most costly states in the U S for manufacturers 181 Energy See also List of power stations in Vermont Vermont has no fossil fuel reserves however its forest products industry provides fuel for electricity generation and home heating Electricity consumption per capita ranks it among the lowest 20 of states and total electricity consumption was the lowest in the United States Vermont consumed three times more electricity than it generated in state in 2019 and imported its largest share of electricity from Canada Vermont s 99 9 share of in state electricity generation from renewable sources was the highest among all 50 states 182 Health See also Vermont Public health An increasingly aging population is expected to improve the position of aging services and health care in the state economy The University of Vermont Medical Center with approximately 6 400 employees is the largest employer in the state 183 In 2010 all of Vermont s hospitals billed patients 3 76 billion and collected 2 billion 184 92 000 people are enrolled in Medicare In 2011 Medicare spent 740 million on health care in the state 154 Labor In 2009 the state attained a high of 361 290 workers 185 As of 2006 there were 305 000 workers in Vermont Eleven percent of these are unionized 186 187 Out of a workforce of 299 200 workers 52 000 were government jobs federal state and local 188 A modern high unemployment rate of 9 was reached in June 1976 A modern low of 2 4 was measured in February 2000 189 As of October 2019 the unemployment rate was 2 2 190 Employment grew 7 5 from 2000 to 2006 From 1980 to 2000 employment grew by 3 4 nationally it was up 4 6 Real wages were 33 385 in 2006 constant dollars and remained there in 2010 the nation 36 871 191 Insurance Captive insurance plays an increasingly large role in Vermont s economy With this form of alternative insurance large corporations or industry associations form standalone insurance companies to insure their own risks thereby substantially reducing their insurance premiums and gaining a significant measure of control over types of risks to be covered There are also significant tax advantages to be gained from the formation and operation of captive insurance companies According to the Insurance Information Institute Vermont in 2009 was the world s third largest domicile for captive insurance companies following Bermuda and the Cayman Islands 192 In 2009 there were 560 such companies 193 In 2010 the state had 900 such companies 194 Recreation Lake Champlain Summer camps such as Camp Abenaki Camp Billings Camp Dudley and Camp Hochelaga contribute to Vermont s tourist economy In 2005 visitors made an estimated 13 4 million trips to the state spending 1 57 billion 195 In 2012 fall accounted for 460 million of income about one quarter of all tourism 196 In 2011 the state government earned 274 million in taxes and fees from tourism 89 of the money came from out of state visitors Tourism supported over 26 000 jobs 7 2 of total employment 197 According to the 2000 Census almost 15 of all housing units in Vermont were vacant and classified for seasonal recreational or occasional use 198 clarification needed This was the second highest percentage nationwide after Maine In some Vermont cities vacation homes owned by wealthy residents of New England and New York constitute the bulk of all housing stock According to one estimate as of 2009 84 of all houses in Ludlow were owned by out of state residents 199 Other notable vacation home resorts include Manchester and Stowe Hunting Autumn in Vermont Hunting is controlled for black bear wild turkeys deer and moose 200 There are 5 500 bears in the state The goal is to keep the numbers between 4 500 and 6 000 201 In 2010 there were about 141 000 deer in the state which is in range of government goals However these are distributed unevenly and when in excess of 10 15 per square mile 4 6 km2 negatively impact timber growth 202 In 2012 hunting of migratory birds was limited to October 13 to December 16 Waterfowl hunting is also controlled by federal law 203 Skiing and snowmobiling Stowe Resort Village Some of the largest ski areas in New England are located in Vermont Skiers and snowboarders visit Burke Mountain Ski Area Bolton Valley Smugglers Notch Killington Ski Resort Mad River Glen Stowe Mountain Resort Cochrans Ski Area Sugarbush Stratton Jay Peak Okemo Saskadena Six Mount Snow Bromley and Magic Mountain Ski Area Summer visitors tour resort towns like Stowe Manchester Quechee Wilmington and Woodstock The effects of global warming have been predicted to shorten the length of the ski season across Vermont which would continue the contraction and consolidation of the ski industry in Vermont and threaten individual ski businesses and communities that rely on ski tourism 204 In winter Nordic and backcountry skiers visit to travel the length of the state on the Catamount Trail Several horse shows are annual events Vermont s state parks historic sites museums golf courses and new boutique hotels with spas were designed to attract tourists In 2000 01 there were 4 579 719 skier and snowboarder visits to the state There were 4 125 082 visits in 2009 2010 a rise from recent years 205 In 2008 there were 35 000 members of 138 snowmobiling clubs in Vermont The combined association of clubs maintains 6 000 miles 9 700 km of trail often over private lands The industry is said to generate hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business 206 Quarrying The towns of Rutland and Barre are the traditional centers of marble and granite quarrying and carving in the U S For many years Vermont was also the headquarters of the smallest union in the U S the Journeymen Stonecutters Association of North America of about 500 members The first marble quarry in America was on Mount Aeolus overlooking East Dorset 207 The granite industry attracted numerous skilled stonecutters in the late 19th century from Italy Scotland and Ireland Barre is the location of the Rock of Ages quarry the largest dimension stone granite quarry in the United States Vermont is the largest producer of slate in the country The highest quarrying revenues result from the production of dimension stone citation needed The Rock of Ages quarry in Barre is one of the leading exporters of granite in the country The work of the sculptors of this corporation can be seen 3 miles 4 8 km down the road at the Hope Cemetery where there are gravestones and mausoleums citation needed Non profits and volunteerism There were 2 682 non profit organizations in Vermont in 2008 with 2 8 billion in revenue 208 The state ranked ninth in the country for volunteerism for the period 2005 08 35 6 of the population volunteered during this period The national average was 26 4 209 EducationThis section needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information April 2022 Main article Education in Vermont The Lyndon Institute a high school in Lyndon Vermont Vermont was named the nation s smartest state in 2005 and 2006 210 In 2006 there was a gap between state testing standards and national which is biased in favor of the state standards by 30 on average This puts Vermont 11th best in the nation Most states have a higher bias 211 However when allowance for race is considered a 2007 U S Government list of test scores shows Vermont white fourth graders performed 25th in the nation for reading 229 and 26th for math 247 212 White eighth graders scored 18th for math 292 and 12th for reading 273 The first three scores were not considered statistically different from average White eighth graders scored significantly above average in reading Statistics for black students were not reliable because of their small representation in the testing In 2017 spending 1 6 billion on education for 76 000 public school children represents more than 21 000 per student 213 Education Week ranked the state second c in high school graduation rates for 2007 214 In 2011 91 of the population had graduated from high school compared with 85 nationally Almost 34 have at least an undergraduate degree compared with 28 nationally 215 In 2013 the ratio of pupils to teachers was the lowest in the country 216 Higher education Main article List of colleges and universities in Vermont The University of Vermont Old Mill the oldest building of the university Experimentation at the University of Vermont by George Perkins Marsh and later the influence of Vermont born philosopher and educator John Dewey brought about the concepts of electives and learning by doing Vermont has five colleges within the Vermont State Colleges system University of Vermont UVM and several other private degree granting colleges including Bennington College Champlain College Goddard College Middlebury College Saint Michael s College the Vermont Law School and Norwich University TransportationThe Vermont Agency of Transportation VTrans is responsible for Vermont s transport infrastructure The principal mode of travel in Vermont is via motor vehicle with 94 3 of Vermont households owning a car in 2008 217 Four car ferry routes operate across Lake Champlain Passenger rail is provided by Amtrak s daily Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express trains Intercity bus operators include Vermont Translines Greyhound Lines and Megabus A number of public transit agencies operate bus service at the local county and regional levels Burlington International Airport is the state s primary airport Road The West Dummerston Bridge the longest covered bridge in Vermont Vermont Route 17 in Addison with Snake Mountain at right See also List of state highways in Vermont In 2012 there were 605 000 motor vehicles registered nearly one car for every person in the state This is similar to average car ownership nationwide 218 In 2012 about half the carbon emissions in the state resulted from vehicles 219 In 2010 Vermont owned 2 840 miles 4 570 km of highway This was the third smallest quantity among the 50 states 2 5 of the highways were listed as congested the fifth lowest in the country The highway fatality rate was one per 100 000 000 miles 160 000 000 km tenth lowest in the nation The highways cost 28 669 per mile 17 814 km to maintain the 17th highest in the states 34 4 of its 2 691 220 bridges were rated deficient or obsolete the eighth worst in the nation 221 A 2005 06 study ranked Vermont 37th out of the states for cost effective road maintenance a decline of thirteen places since 2004 05 222 In 2007 Vermont was ranked the third safest state for highway fatalities 223 One third of these fatal crashes involved a drunken driver 224 On average 20 25 people die each year from drunk driving incidents and 70 80 people are in fatal car crashes in the state 225 Collisions with moose constitute a traffic threat particularly in northern Vermont and cause several deaths per year 226 In 2009 93 of Vermont motorists were insured tying the state with Pennsylvania for the highest percentage 227 In 2008 Vermont was the fifth best state for fewest uninsured motorists 6 228 Trucks weighing less than 80 000 pounds 36 000 kg can use Vermont s interstate highways The limit for state roads is 99 000 pounds 45 000 kg This means that vehicles too heavy for the interstates can legally use only secondary roads 229 230 In 1968 Vermont outlawed the use of billboards for advertisement along its roads It is one of four states in the U S to have done this along with Hawaii Maine and Alaska 231 232 Major north south routes Interstate 89 runs a northwest southeast path through Vermont beginning in White River Junction and heading northwest to serve the cities of Montpelier Burlington and St Albans en route to the Canada U S border I 89 intersects I 91 in White River Junction and has a short spur route Interstate 189 just outside of Burlington Interstate 91 runs a north south path from the Massachusetts state line to the Canada U S border connecting the towns of Brattleboro White River Junction St Johnsbury and the city of Newport I 91 intersects I 89 in White River Junction and I 93 in St Johnsbury Interstate 93 runs a short 11 mile 18 km distance from the New Hampshire state line to its northern terminus in St Johnsbury where it intersects I 91 I 93 connects the Northeast Kingdom region of Vermont with the White Mountains region of New Hampshire and points south U S Route 5 runs a north south path in eastern Vermont from the Massachusetts state line to the Canada U S border U S Route 5 is a surface road that runs parallel to I 91 for its entire length in the state and serves nearly all the same towns The two routes also parallel the New Hampshire state line between Brattleboro and St Johnsbury U S Route 7 runs a north south path in western Vermont from the Massachusetts state line to the Canada U S border U S Route 7 connects the cities and towns of Bennington Rutland Middlebury Burlington and St Albans Between Bennington and Dorset U S Route 7 runs as a Super 2 freeway It also parallels I 89 between Burlington and the Canada U S border Vermont Route 30 is a 111 870 mile long north south road that runs from Brattleboro to Middlebury Vermont Route 30 runs through the state s historic West River Valley where it passes through the colonial towns of Newfane Townshend West Townshend East Jamaica Jamaica Rawsonville and Bondville Vermont Route 100 runs a north south path directly through the center of the state along the length of the Green Mountains VT Route 100 generally parallels both U S Route 5 which runs to its east and U S Route 7 which runs to its west Many of the state s major ski areas are located either directly on or very close to VT Route 100 The largest town by population along VT Route 100 is Morristown Major east west routes U S Route 2 runs a generally east west path across central and northern Vermont from Alburgh on the New York state line to Guildhall on the New Hampshire state line U S Route 2 connects the Lake Champlain Islands and the Northeast Kingdom to the population centers of Burlington Montpelier and St Johnsbury U S Route 2 runs parallel to I 89 between Colchester and Montpelier Although the portion of the road from Alburgh to Burlington follows a north south orientation U S Route 2 in Vermont is entirely signed as east west U S Route 4 runs east west across south central Vermont from Fair Haven on the New York state line to White River Junction on the New Hampshire state line U S Route 4 also connects the city of Rutland and the towns of Killington and Woodstock Between Fair Haven and Rutland U S Route 4 runs as a four lane freeway that is mostly up to Interstate design standards U S Route 302 runs an east west path from its western terminus in Montpelier to the village of Wells River where it intersects both I 91 and U S Route 5 and then crosses into New Hampshire U S Route 302 is one of the main roads connecting Montpelier and Barre in central Vermont Vermont Route 9 runs an east west path across the southern part of the state VT Route 9 connects the towns of Bennington Wilmington and Brattleboro Vermont Route 105 runs a generally east west path across the northernmost parts of Vermont sometimes within a few miles of the Canada U S border from St Albans to Bloomfield on the New Hampshire state line VT Route 105 ultimately connects the cities of St Albans and Newport Ferry The Cumberland ice breaking ferry headed toward Grand Isle in winter There is a year round ferry service to and from New York State across Lake Champlain from Burlington Charlotte Grand Isle and Shoreham All but the Shoreham ferry are operated by the Lake Champlain Transportation Company LCTC 233 Rail The Ethan Allen Express alongside the Island Line Trail in Burlington See also List of Vermont railroads The state is served by Amtrak s Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express the New England Central Railroad the Vermont Railway and the Green Mountain Railroad The Ethan Allen Express serves Burlington Union Station Ferrisburgh Vergennes Middlebury Rutland and Castleton 234 while the Vermonter serves St Albans Essex Junction Waterbury Montpelier Randolph White River Junction Windsor Bellows Falls and Brattleboro 235 Intercity bus Greyhound Lines stops at Bellows Falls Brattleboro Burlington Montpelier and White River Junction 236 Megabus as of November 2014 stops in Burlington and Montpelier 237 Vermont Translines an intercity bus company started by Premier Coach in 2013 partnering with Greyhound and starting service on June 9 2014 serves Milton Colchester Burlington Middlebury Brandon Rutland Wallingford Manchester and Bennington on its Burlington to Albany line and Rutland Killington Bridgewater Woodstock Queechee and White River Junction along the U S Route 4 corridor 238 The town of Bennington also has the weekday operating Albany Bennington Shuttle an intercity bus operated by Yankee Trails World Travel 239 Local bus MVRTD s The Bus in Rutland See also List of bus operators in Vermont A patchwork of transit providers operate local bus service in every Vermont county though route frequency and coverage are often limited outside major cities Many operators also provide paratransit and regional express bus services Green Mountain Transit is the largest operator in the state with weekday ridership of 7 300 as of the second quarter of 2022 240 Other major systems are Marble Valley Regional Transit District The Bus Southeast Vermont Transit MOOver Tri Valley Transit Rural Community Transportation Advance Transit and Green Mountain Community Network 241 Air Edward F Knapp State Airport in Berlin See also List of airports in Vermont Burlington International Airport is the largest in the state with regular flights to Atlanta Charlotte Chicago Denver Detroit Washington Dulles JFK LaGuardia Newark Orlando and Philadelphia Airlines serving the airport include American Delta Frontier JetBlue and United 242 This is also the airport where the 134th fighter squadron of the 158th fighter wing is located Known as the Green Mountain Boys this squadron is armed with the Block 30 F 16C D Fighting Falcon and is tasked with protecting the Northeastern United States from the air Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport has regular flights to Boston via Cape Air 243 MediaNewspapers of record Further information List of newspapers in Vermont Vermont statute 244 requires the Vermont Secretary of State to designate newspapers that provide general coverage across the state as the Newspapers of Record This is the list as of 2019 245 Addison Independent Bennington Banner Brattleboro Reformer Burlington Free Press Caledonian Record The Chronicle Islander Newport Daily Express News amp Citizen The Transcript Rutland Herald Seven Days St Albans Messenger Times Argus Valley News Vermont Lawyer White River Valley Herald a k a Herald of Randolph Broadcast media Main articles List of radio stations in Vermont and List of television stations in Vermont Vermont hosts 93 radio broadcast stations The top categories are talk information 11 country 9 and classic rock 9 The top owner of radio broadcast stations is Vermont Public Radio 11 broadcast frequencies and 13 low power local transmitters 246 Other companies had five or fewer stations The state has 15 online radio stations 247 Vermont hosts 10 high power television broadcast stations three of which are satellites of a primary station Represented are the following networks and number of high power transmitters ABC 1 CBS 1 Fox 1 NBC 2 PBS 4 and RTV 1 In addition it has 17 low power television broadcast stations which in several cases are satellites of the high power stations Electrical utilitiesMain article Energy in Vermont The Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Vernon Vermont electric power needs are served by over twenty utilities The largest is Green Mountain Power a subsidiary of Energir which recently also took over Central Vermont Public Service Together this single company represents 70 of the retail customers in Vermont The state is a small electricity consumer compared with other states Therefore its electricity sector has the lowest carbon footprint in the country As of 2010 the state had the lowest wholesale electricity costs in New England 248 Public healthIn 2010 Vermont was the sixth highest ranked state for Well Being in a study by Gallup and Healthways 249 In 2010 the state stood third in physical well being of children 250 In 2010 Vermont was ranked the highest in the country for health outcomes 251 In 2000 the state implemented the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program to improve preventive services and management of chronic conditions In 2011 the state ranked third in the nation in child health system performance 252 In 2011 the March of Dimes gave Vermont an A ranking it number one in the country on its Prematurity Report Card 253 In 2008 Vermont was ranked number one in the nation as the healthiest place to live for the seventh time in eight years Criteria included low teenage birth rate strong health coverage the lowest AIDS rate in the country and 18 other factors 254 The state scored well in cessation of smoking obesity fewer occupational fatalities prevalence of health insurance and low infant mortality A problem area was a high prevalence of binge drinking 255 While ranking sixth from best for adults in obesity in 2009 the state still had 22 obese with a rate of 27 for children 10 17 The ranking for children was ninth best in the nation 256 In 1993 the obesity rate for adults was 12 Vermonters spend 141 million annually in medical costs related to obesity 257 The combined figures for overweight and obese adults rose from 40 7 in 1990 to 58 4 in 2010 This is better than most other states 258 In 2011 Vermont led the nation in the rate of young people who had consumed alcohol in the past month one third of people aged 11 through 20 One fifth of that group had binged during that time The state was second for the use of marijuana by young people 30 of adults 18 to 25 in the past month 259 In 2009 Vermont was ranked second in the nation for safety Crime statistics on violence were used for the criteria 260 In 2007 Vermont was ranked among the best five states in the country for preventing premature death in people under 75 years of age The rate of survival was twice that of the five lowest performing states 261 Parts of the state have been declared federal disaster areas on 28 occasions from 1963 to 2008 262 In 2007 the Environmental Protection Agency cited Chittenden and Bennington as counties with 70 parts per billion of smog which is undesirable 263 In 2008 about 100 000 Vermonters got their health care through the federal government Medicare Tri Care and the Veteran s Administration An additional 10 000 Vermonters work for employers who provide insurance under federal law under ERISA About 20 of Vermonters receive health care outside of Vermont 20 of the care provided within the state is to non Vermonters 264 In 2008 the state had an estimated 7 6 with no medical insurance down from 9 8 in 2005 265 In 2008 the Vermont Health Access Program for low income uninsured adults cost from 7 to 49 per month 266 A Catamount Health premium assistance program was available for Vermonters who do not qualify for other programs Total monthly premiums ranged from 60 to 393 for an individual There was a 250 deductible Insured paid 10 toward each generic prescription 16 9 of residents 18 to 35 were uninsured the highest group 267 Health care spending increased from 2 3 billion in 2000 to 4 8 billion in 2009 268 In 2009 adult day care services cost more in Vermont than any other state 150 daily 269 The state started air drops of rabies bait for raccoons in 1997 Known rabies cases in raccoons peaked in 2007 at 165 The program is in cooperation with neighboring states and Canada 270 Law and governmentMain article Government of Vermont The Vermont Supreme Court s building in Montpelier Vermont is federally represented in the United States Congress by two senators and one representative The state is governed by a constitution which divides governmental duties into legislative executive and judicial branches the Vermont General Assembly the governor of Vermont and the Vermont Supreme Court The governorship and the General Assembly serve two year terms including the governor and 30 senators There are no term limits for any office The state capital is in Montpelier There are three types of incorporated municipalities in Vermont towns cities and villages Like most of New England there is slight provision for autonomous county government Counties and county seats are merely convenient repositories for various government services such as state courts with several elected officers such as a state s Attorney and sheriff All county services are directly funded by the state of Vermont The next effective governmental level below state government are municipalities Most of these are towns 271 Finances and taxation Vermont is the only state in the union not to have a balanced budget requirement yet it has had a balanced budget every year since 1991 272 In 2007 Moody s gave its top bond credit rating Aaa to the state 273 The state uses enterprise funds for operations that are similar to private business enterprises The Vermont Lottery Commission the Liquor Control Fund and the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund are the largest of the State s enterprise funds 274 Also in 2007 Vermont was the 14th highest out of 50 states and the District of Columbia for state and local taxation with a per capita load of 3 681 The national average was 3 447 275 However CNNMoney ranked Vermont highest in the nation based on the percentage of per capita income The rankings showed Vermont had a per capita tax load of 5 387 14 1 of the per capita income of 38 306 276 Vermont collects a state personal income tax in a progressive structure of five different income brackets with marginal tax rates ranging from 3 6 to 9 5 In 2008 the top 1 of Vermont residents provided 30 of the income tax revenue around 2 000 people had sufficient income to be taxed at the highest marginal rate of 9 5 277 Vermont s general state sales tax rate is 6 which is imposed on sales of tangible personal property amusement charges fabrication charges some public utility charges and some service contracts Some towns and cities impose an additional 1 Local Option Tax There are 46 exemptions from the sales tax including exemptions for food medical items manufacturing machinery equipment and fuel residential fuel and electricity clothing and shoes A use tax is imposed on the buyer at the same rate as the sales tax The buyer pays the use tax when the seller fails to collect the sales tax or the items are purchased from a source where no tax is collected The use tax applies to items taxable under the sales tax Vermont does not collect inheritance taxes but does impose a state estate tax a Vermont estate tax return must be filed if the estate must file a federal estate tax return the requirement for which depends on federal law 278 Vermont does not collect a state gift tax 278 Property taxes are levied by municipalities for the support of education and municipal services Vermont does not assess tax on personal property 279 Property taxes are based on appraisal of the fair market value of real property 279 Rates vary from 0 97 on homesteaded property in Ferdinand Essex County to 2 72 on nonresidents property in Barre City 280 Statewide towns average 1 77 to 1 82 tax rate In 2007 Vermont counties were among the highest in the country for property taxes Chittenden 3 809 median Windham 3 412 Addison 3 352 and Windsor 3 327 ranked in the top 100 out of 1 817 counties in the nation with populations greater than 20 000 Twelve of the state s 14 counties stood in the top 20 281 Median annual property taxes as a percentage of median homeowners income 5 4 was rated as the third highest in the nation in 2011 282 d To equitably support education some towns are required by Act 60 to send some of their collected taxes to be redistributed to school districts lacking adequate support 283 Politics This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia s quality standards The specific problem is This section is very disorganized Please help improve this section if you can April 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Main article Politics of Vermont See also Political party strength in Vermont and United States Congressional Delegations from Vermont Vermont is one of four states that were once independent nations Texas California and Hawaii are the others Notably Vermont is the only state to have voted for a presidential candidate from the Anti Masonic Party and Vermont was one of only two states to vote against Franklin D Roosevelt in all four of his presidential campaigns the other was Maine Vermont s history of independent political thought has led to movements for the establishment of the Second Vermont Republic and other plans advocating secession Vermont is the only state in the United States that requires voters to be sworn in having established the voter s oath or affirmation in 1777 284 All white men were granted universal suffrage in 1777 285 State politics Vermont towns hold a March town meeting for voters to approve the town s budget and decide other matters Marlboro voters meet in this building Republicans dominated local Vermont politics from the party s founding in 1854 until the mid 1970s and at the presidential level until the 1990s Before the 1960s rural interests dominated the legislature As a result cities particularly the older sections of Burlington and Winooski were neglected and fell into decay and people began to move out to newer suburbs A series of one man one vote decisions made by the United States Supreme Court in the 1960s required states to redraw their legislative districts to accurately reflect population As a result urban areas in Vermont gained political power The legislature was redistricted under one person one vote in the 1960s It passed the Land Use and Development Law Act 250 in 1970 to discourage suburban sprawl and to limit major growth to already developed areas The law the first of its kind in the nation created nine District Environmental Commissions appointed by the Governor who judged land development and subdivision plans that would have a significant impact on the state s environment and many small communities As a result of Act 250 Vermont was the last state to get a Wal Mart there are now six Wal Marts in the state as of November 2017 but only three in Williston St Albans and Derby were newly built from the ground up Because of the successful attempts to dilute what is perceived as the original intent of Act 250 286 and other development pressures Vermont has been designated one of America s most endangered historic places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation 287 From 1856 the first presidential election after the Republican Party s founding to 1988 Vermont voted Republican in every presidential election except 1964 when Democrat Lyndon B Johnson became the first of his party to carry the state amidst a national landslide Since 1992 Vermont has voted Democratic in every presidential election marking a massive shift in the state s politics 288 289 290 291 In 1995 the state banned the spreading of manure from December 15 to April 1 to prevent run off and protect the water Therefore farms must have environmentally approved facilities to store manure during this time frame 292 While the state voted largely Democratic Republican Governor Douglas won all counties but Windham in the 2006 election A controversy dating from 1999 has been over the adoption of civil unions an institution which grants same sex couples nearly all the rights and privileges of marriage at the state but not federal level In Baker v Vermont 1999 the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that under the Constitution of Vermont the state must either allow same sex marriage or provide a separate but equal status for them The state legislature chose the second option by creating the institution of civil union the bill was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Howard Dean In April 2009 the state legislature overrode governor Jim Douglas s veto to allow same sex marriage becoming the first state in the nation to legalize same sex marriage through legislation 293 In September 2009 Vermont became the fourth state in which same sex couples could marry The previous three were Massachusetts Connecticut and Iowa In 2007 the state s House of Representatives rejected a measure which would have legalized assisted suicide for the terminally ill by a vote of 82 63 With the governor s signature on May 20 2013 Vermont became the fourth state to pass a death with dignity law the first to be passed through legislation rather than by ballot initiative 294 Minor parties and independents flourish Rules which eliminate smaller parties from the ballot in most states do not exist in Vermont As a result voters often have extensive choices for general elections Among others this more open policy enabled independents like Bernie Sanders to win election as mayor of Burlington as a U S Congressman and as a U S Senator A political issue has been Act 60 which balances taxation for education funding This has resulted in the town of Killington trying to secede from Vermont and join New Hampshire due to what the locals say is an unfair tax burden 295 296 The Vermont constitution and the courts supports the right of a person to walk fish and hunt on any unposted unfenced land That is trespass must be proven by the owner it is not automatically assumed 297 Vermont has some of the least restrictive gun control laws in the country A permit or license is not required for purchasing or carrying firearms Concealed carry and open carry of a firearm is legal over the age of 16 with those below 16 requiring parental permission 298 299 300 301 Vermont has a pro sanctuary city law 302 The state is an alcoholic beverage control state In 2007 through the Vermont Department of Liquor Control it took in over 14 million from the sale and distribution of liquor 303 In 2013 Vermont became the 17th state to decriminalize marijuana The statute makes possession of less than an ounce of the drug punishable by a small fine rather than arrest and possible jail time 304 In 2014 Vermont became the first state to call for a constitutional convention to overturn the Supreme Court s decision in Citizens United v FEC 305 In 2014 Vermont became the first state to mandate labeling of genetically modified organisms in the retail food supply In January 2018 Governor Phil Scott opted to sign H 511 the Vermont marijuana legalization bill which allows adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to two mature plants starting July 1 2018 306 Federal politics See also United States presidential elections in Vermont Senators Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy and Representative Peter Welch greet supporters in 2017 Historically Vermont was considered one of the most reliably Republican states in the country in terms of national elections From 1856 to 1988 Vermont voted Democratic only once in Lyndon B Johnson s landslide victory of 1964 against Barry M Goldwater It was also one of only two states Maine is the other where Franklin D Roosevelt was completely shut out in all four of his presidential bids In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Republican presidential candidates frequently won the state with over 70 of the vote In the 1980s and 1990s many people moved in from out of state 104 307 308 Much of this immigration included the arrival of more liberal political influences of the urban areas of New York and the rest of New England in Vermont 307 The brand of Republicanism in Vermont has historically been a moderate one and combined with the newcomers from out of state this made Vermont friendlier to Democrats as the national GOP moved to the right As evidence of this in 1990 Bernie Sanders a self described democratic socialist was elected to Vermont s lone seat in the House as an independent Sanders became the state s junior Senator in 2007 However for his entire career in the House and Senate Sanders has caucused with the Democrats and is counted as a Democrat for the purposes of committee assignments and voting for party leadership 309 After narrowly supporting George H W Bush in 1988 it gave Democrat Bill Clinton a 16 point margin in 1992 the first time the state had gone Democratic since 1964 Vermont has voted Democratic in every presidential election since Since 2004 Vermont has been one of the Democrats most loyal states It gave John Kerry his fourth largest margin of victory in the presidential campaign against George W Bush he won the state s popular vote by 20 percentage points taking almost 59 of the vote Kerry from neighboring Massachusetts also became the first Northern Democrat ever to carry Vermont Johnson was from Texas Clinton from Arkansas and Al Gore triumphant in the Green Mountain State in 2000 from Tennessee Essex County in the state s northeastern section was the only county to vote for Bush Vermont is the only state that did not receive a visit from George W Bush during his tenure as President of the United States 310 Indeed George W Bush and Donald Trump are the only Republicans to win the White House without carrying Vermont In 2008 Vermont gave Barack Obama his third largest margin of victory 37 percentage points and third largest vote share in the nation by his winning the state 68 to 31 Only Obama s birth state of Hawaii and Washington D C were stronger Democratic victories The same held true in 2012 when Obama carried Vermont 67 of the vote to 31 for Romney and in 2016 when Hillary Clinton won with 57 of the vote to 30 for Donald Trump Vermont s two Senators are independent Bernie Sanders and Democrat Peter Welch The state is represented by an at large member of the House Democrat Becca Balint who succeeded Welch in 2023 Culture Vermontasaurus sculpture in Post Mills in 2010 Vermont festivals include the Vermont Maple Festival Festival on the Green 311 The Vermont Dairy Festival in Enosburg Falls 312 the Apple Festival held each Columbus Day Weekend the Marlboro Music Festival and the Vermont Brewers Festival 313 The Vermont Symphony Orchestra is supported by the state and performs throughout the area Since 1973 the Sage City Symphony formed by composer Louis Calabro has performed in the Bennington area In 1988 a number of Vermont based composers including Gwyneth Walker formed the Vermont Composers Consortium 314 315 which was recognized by the governor proclaiming 2011 as The Year of the Composer 316 Burlington Vermont s largest city hosts the annual Vermont International Film Festival which presents ten days in October of independent films 317 The Brattleboro based Vermont Theatre Company presents an annual summer Shakespeare festival Brattleboro also hosts the summertime Strolling of the Heifers parade which celebrates Vermont s dairy culture The annual Green Mountain Film Festival is held in Montpelier 318 In the Northeast Kingdom the Bread and Puppet Theatre holds weekly shows in Glover in a natural outdoor amphitheater 319 One of Vermont s best known musical acts is the rock band Phish whose members met while attending school in Vermont and spent much of their early years playing at venues across the state 320 321 The Vermont based House of LeMay 322 performs several shows a year hosts the annual Winter is a Drag Ball 323 and performs for fundraisers Examples of folk art found in Vermont include the Vermontasaurus in Post Mills a community in Thetford 324 The rate of volunteerism in Vermont was eighth in the nation with 37 in 2007 The state stood first in New England 325 In 2011 Vermont residents were ranked as the healthiest in the country 326 Also in 2011 Vermont was ranked as the fourth most peaceful state in the United States 327 In 2011 Vermont residents were ranked as the sixth most fit leanest in the country 328 Vermonters were the second most active citizens of state with 55 9 meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention s physical activity requirements 329 Vermont was ranked as the 12th happiest state in the country 330 SportsWinter sports Winter sports are popular in New England and Vermont s winter sports attractions are a big part of Vermont tourism Some well known attractions include Burke Mountain ski area Jay Peak Resort Killington Ski Resort Stowe Mountain Resort the Quechee Club Ski Area and Smugglers Notch Resort Vermont natives in the snowboarding profession include Kevin Pearce Ross Powers Hannah Teter and Kelly Clark Others learned snowboarding in the state such as Louie Vito and Ellery Hollingsworth Vermont Olympic gold medalists include Barbara Cochran 331 Hannah Kearney 332 Kelly Clark 333 Ross Powers 334 and Hannah Teter 335 Baseball The largest professional franchise is the Vermont Lake Monsters of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League based in Burlington They were named the Vermont Expos before 2006 336 Up until the 2011 season they were the affiliate of the Washington Nationals formerly the Montreal Expos Up until 2020 they played in the New York Penn League of Single A and were the Single A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics Basketball Currently the highest ranked teams in basketball representing Vermont are the NCAA s Vermont Catamounts male and female 337 The Vermont Frost Heaves the 2007 and 2008 American Basketball Association national champions were a franchise of the Premier Basketball League and were based in Barre and Burlington from the fall of 2006 through the winter of 2011 Football The Vermont Bucks an indoor football team were based in Burlington and began play in 2017 as the founding team in the Can Am Indoor Football League 338 For 2018 the Bucks joined the American Arena League but folded prior to playing in the new league 339 Hockey Vermont is home to the University of Vermont Men s and Women s hockey teams Vermont s only professional hockey team was the Vermont Wild who played in the Federal Hockey League during the 2011 12 season but the team folded before the season ended citation needed Soccer The Vermont Voltage were a USL Premier Development League soccer club that played in St Albans Vermont Green FC are a USL League 2 club that will play at University of Vermont s Virtue Field in Burlington 340 341 Annually since 2002 high school statewide all stars compete against New Hampshire in ten sports during Twin State playoffs 342 Motorsport Vermont also has a few auto racing venues The most popular of them is Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre Vermont It is well known for its tight racing and has become well known in short track stock car racing Other racing circuits include the USC sanctioned Bear Ridge Speedway and the NASCAR sanctioned Devil s Bowl Speedway Some NASCAR Cup drivers have come to Vermont circuits to compete against local weekly drivers such as Tony Stewart Clint Bowyer Kyle Busch Kenny Wallace Ken Schrader 343 and Christopher Bell 344 Kevin Lepage from Shelburne Vermont is one of a few professional drivers from Vermont Racing series in Vermont include NASCAR Whelen All American Series American Canadian Tour and Vermont s own Tiger Sportsman Series ResidentsMain article List of people from Vermont The following were either born in Vermont or resided there for a substantial period during their lives and whose names are widely known Chester A Arthur 21st President of the United States Pearl S Buck author Jake Burton Carpenter inventor of the snowboard Calvin Coolidge 30th President of the United States John Deere founder of Deere amp Company George Dewey the only Admiral of the Navy in U S history John Dewey philosopher psychologist and educator Stephen Douglas 19th century politician Carlton Fisk Baseball Hall of Fame catcher James Fisk financier Robert Frost poet Richard Morris Hunt architect Rudyard Kipling author Bill McKibben environmentalist Samuel Morey inventor of the steam powered paddle wheel boat Norman Rockwell painter author and illustrator Bernie Sanders politician and legislator Joseph Smith founder of the Latter Day Saint movement Alexander Solzhenitsyn Russian author and Soviet dissident Rudy Vallee singer and actor Brigham Young 2nd President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day SaintsIn fiction Vermont was also the home of Dick Loudon Bob Newhart s character on the 1980s sitcom Newhart All action supposedly took place in Vermont Vermont was the home of Pollyanna and her Aunt Polly in the novel Pollyanna later made into the 1960 Disney film starring Hayley Mills and Jane Wyman 345 In H P Lovecraft s The Whisperer in Darkness Vermont is the home of folklorist Henry Akeley and the uninhabited hills of Vermont serve as one of the earth bases of the extraterrestrial Mi Go Donna Tartt s novel The Secret History is a story set mostly in a fictitious town of Hampden Vermont and college of the same name where several students conspire to murder a classmate 346 Sinclair Lewis 1935 anti fascist novel It Can t Happen Here is largely set in Vermont as local newspaper editor Doremus Jessup opposes a newly elected dictatorial government Annie Baker s Circle Mirror Transformation Body Awareness and The Aliens all take place in the fictional town of Shirley Vermont See also Vermont portal New England portal United States portalOutline of Vermont Index of Vermont related articles French language in the United StatesNotes Though this was tied by Big Black River Maine in 2009 Often pronounced veɹˈmɑ ʔ in rural areas of the state Behind New Jersey Average Property Taxes as of Median Income 5 4 3rd Most in nation Average Median Property Taxes Paid on Homes 4 618 3rd Most in nation Unemployment Rate 5 6 5th lowest in the country Average Median Income for Home Owners 77 161 7th Highest in the US References Mt Mansfield Highest Point NGS Data Sheet National Geodetic Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration United States Department of Commerce Retrieved July 20 2015 a b Elevations and Distances in the United States United States Geological Survey 2001 Archived from the original on July 22 2012 Retrieved October 24 2011 a b Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988 a b c 2020 Census Apportionment Results census gov United States Census Bureau Archived from the original on April 26 2021 Retrieved April 30 2021 Median Annual Household Income The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation Retrieved April 8 2019 State terrestrial fossil is the woolly mammoth of Mount Holly state marine fossil is the beluga whale of Charlotte Vermont State Fossil Mount Holly Mammoth amp Charlotte Whale FossilEra Beluga Whale Skeleton Vermont State Marine Fossil State Symbols USA Perkins Geology Museum University of Vermont Paul Heller History Space Woolly mammoth of Mount Holly Careful mammoth mixed up with mastodon Vermont Oxford English Dictionary Online ed Oxford University Press Subscription or participating institution membership required Vermont Constitution of 1777 Chapter I Section I State of Vermont Archived from the original on December 28 2019 Retrieved April 12 2019 Therefore no male person born in this country or brought from over sea ought to be holden by law to serve any person as a servant slave or apprentice after he arrives to the age of twenty one years nor female in like manner after she arrives to the age of eighteen years unless they are bound by their own consent after they arrive to such age or bound by law for the payment of debts damages fines costs or the like Cox Lee Ann January 29 2014 Patchwork Freedom University of Vermont Archived from the original on July 2 2019 HDI Map American Human Development Project of the Social Science Research Council Retrieved December 28 2016 Conway Michael J Vieira amp J North 2017 New England Rocks Historic Geological Wonders Arcadia Publishing p 18 ISBN 978 1 4396 6034 8 a b Senecal Joseph Andre Fall 1966 The name Vermont Journal of the Vermont French Canadian Genealogical Society 1 1 Retrieved February 13 2018 via LINKS Van DeWater Frederic F 1974 1941 The Reluctant Republic Vermont 1724 1791 The Countryman Press pp 195 218 219 ISBN 978 0 914378 02 0 a b c Abenaki tolatsga org Archived from the original on April 11 2010 King Philip s War Native American History HISTORY com HISTORY com Hahn Michael February 2007 Vintage Cabin Fever First Vermont Winter for Europeans Northland Journal a b Canada quake shakes Vt Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont June 24 2010 pp 1A 4A Town History Town of Bronson www townofbronson org Archived from the original on October 2 2016 Retrieved September 28 2016 The Border War New York and Vermont History of the Town of Schaghticoke September 13 2011 Retrieved January 12 2022 Long John H Sinko Peggy Tuck eds 2007 New Hampshire Consolidated Chronology of State and County Boundaries The Newberry Library archived from the original on October 17 2016 retrieved June 6 2016 John J Duffy Samuel B Hand Ralph H Orth 2003 The Vermont Encyclopedia UPNE p 37 ISBN 978 1 58465 086 7 Second Vermont Republic Vermont s Declaration of Independence 1777 Archived from the original on September 27 2007 Retrieved January 17 2007 a b Esther Munroe Swift Vermont Place Names Footprints in History Picton Press 1977 New 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usreligioncensus org Retrieved December 10 2022 U S Census Bureau QuickFacts Vermont www census gov Vermont ranked low as place to start a business Vermont Business Magazine vermontbiz com Retrieved April 14 2021 Staff CNBC com July 10 2018 Top States for Business Vermont www cnbc com Retrieved April 14 2021 Vermont Rankings U S News amp World Report 2019 Vermont Forbes Best States for Business and Careers November 3 2014 Retrieved January 11 2016 Gram David July 14 2007 Forbes ranks Vt 30th sic for business Burlington Free Press Woolf Art May 17 2018 Vermont has second smallest GDP in nation Here s what that means for your taxes Burlington Free Press Retrieved December 17 2019 Percentages may not add up to exactly 100 because of rounding Gross Domestic Product GDP by State Bea gov December 22 2008 Archived from the original on October 30 2008 Retrieved July 31 2010 Creaser Richard October 24 2007 Illuzi learns about economy of Taiwan during visit the Chronicle Curran John October 7 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The Vermont Encyclopedia UPNE p 104 ISBN 978 1 58465 086 7 Liz Halloran 2007 Vermont s War U S News amp World Report January 22 page 45 U S unauthorized immigration population estimates Estimated unauthorized immigrant population by state 2014 Pew Research Center November 3 2016 Hirschfield Peter Dillon John January 30 2017 Gov Scott Issues Sweeping Rebuff To Trump s Immigration Orders vpr net Vermont Public Radio Retrieved December 26 2017 a b c Starr Tena January 29 2020 Report says agriculture faces challenges in new climate The Chronicle Barton Vermont pp 1A 18A 19A Dunbar Bethany M September 10 2008 Vermont Milk Commission considers price premium the Chronicle Dairy Farm Numbers Vermont Dairy Vermontdairy com Archived from the original on October 2 2010 Retrieved July 31 2010 Mielke Lee May 28 2019 US butter prices climbing capitalpress com Retrieved May 30 2019 Dunbar Bethany November 14 2007 Vermont Milk Commission takes a look at hauling costs the Chronicle Dunbar Bethany M quoting from book by James Maroney Jr December 4 2008 Former farmer has a plan for profits in Vermont dairying the Chronicle Lefebvre Paul February 11 2009 Average Vermont dairy farmer expected to lose 92 000 the Chronicle Dairy Farm Numbers Vermont Dairy Archived from the original on October 2 2010 Retrieved July 31 2010 Vermont Barn Census Uvm edu Retrieved July 31 2010 Hallenbeck Terri September 6 2009 A look at Vermont organic farming Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 5D LeClair vs Saunders Archived May 24 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved April 21 1980 The Economic Importance of Vermont s Forest Based Economy PDF Klyza Christopher McGrory Trombulak Stephen C January 6 2015 The Story of Vermont A Natural and Cultural History Second Edition University Press of New England ISBN 978 1 61168 686 9 a b c d Morin Randall S Pugh Scott A 2014 Forests of Vermont 2013 PDF Report Newtown Square PA U S Department of Agriculture Forest Service Northern Research Station Resource Update FS 30 Hearn Suzanne The Role of Wood Products in Forest Carbon Accounting Forest2Market the Wood and Fiber Supply Chain Experts www forest2market com Retrieved May 20 2016 Starr Tena August 2 2017 Blek outlook for forestry industry The Chronicle Barton Vermont pp 1A 20A 21A Retrieved August 9 2017 US Department of Agriculture UNITED STATES MAPLE SYRUP PRODUCTION PDF Archived from the original PDF on December 12 2019 Retrieved July 13 2019 Dunbar Bethany March 17 2010 Maple season starts early with record sap run Barton Vermont the Chronicle p 23 Burlington Free Press June 18 2009 page 17B Bumper season for sugar makers Hormilla Natalie July 16 2014 Vermont leads the nation in sugarmaking again Barton Vermont the Chronicle p 1 Curran John July 29 2007 Winemakers hope new state council will help them grow Burlington Free Press Mansfield Erin July 1 2015 GlobalFoundries takes over IBM s workforce and 16 000 patents VTDigger org Singer Stephen September 9 2010 UConn study says Vermont costliest for manufacturers Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 6B permanent dead link Vermont Electricity Profile Analysis U S EIA Retrieved March 4 2021 America s Career InfoNet Largest Employers www careerinfonet org CareerOneStop Retrieved March 3 2020 Gresser Joseph September 28 2009 State officials scrutinize hospital revenues the Chronicle Barton Vermont the Chronicle p 11 Buxton Sarah February 21 2018 Expanding the labor force is essential The Chronicle Barton Vermont pp 7A Retrieved March 11 2018 Unions Shrink Even in NY Data Show Empirecenter org January 26 2007 Archived from the original on March 22 2007 Retrieved July 31 2010 A separate study shows over 325 000 workers in 2000 PDF Archived from the original PDF on June 14 2007 Retrieved July 31 2010 Regional Plan Volume II Chapter 6 Economic Development PDF 2003 BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics History Data bls gov Archived from the original on February 4 2009 Retrieved July 31 2010 Vermont s Unemployment Rate Increases to 2 2 Percent for September PDF State of Vermont Department of Labor Retrieved November 2 2019 Briggs John June 21 2010 25 years of numbers Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 1B 4B Insurance Information Institute Captives amp Other Risk Financing Options Retrieved January 7 2007 Sutkoski Matt August 1 2009 State unconcerned about insurance report Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 9B Hallenbeck Terri August 11 2010 Captive industry descends on Vt Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 1B Dunbar Bethany M December 1 2008 I can remember Barton when it was a booming town The Chronicle Hormilia Natalie October 9 2013 Foliage brightened area tourist economy The Chronicle Barton Vermont pp 1A Starr Tena July 24 2013 Needed soon 1 300 hospitality and tourism workers The Chronicle Barton Vermont pp 1A 31A Vacant housing units Vermont 2000 Census Retrieved August 9 2009 Picard Ken November 19 2008 Cottage industry Seven Days Hunting Season Opening Dates Newport Vermont Newport Daily Express September 2009 pp TWO HUNTING GUIDE Vermont bear hunting season opens on Sept 1 Barton Vermont the Chronicle September 1 2010 p 8 Estimates place the deer herd at 141 000 the chronicle Barton Vermont January 26 2011 p 21 Migratory bird hunting dates the Chronicle Barton Vermont September 19 2012 p 15 Climate Change Vulnerability of the Northeast US Winter Tourism Sector PDF Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change University of Ottawa Department of Geography and Institute of Science doi 10 1007 s11027 007 9136 z S2CID 153991472 Retrieved February 3 2019 Vt ski area visits rise 1 4 Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont June 10 2010 pp 6C McLean Dan December 14 2008 Hard times may slow snowmobiling Burlington Free Press VirtualVermont com VirtualVermont com June 13 2010 Archived from the original on November 29 2010 Retrieved July 31 2010 Vermont Nonprofit Association Folds Where Most Needed June 8 2006 Archived from the original on July 22 2011 Retrieved July 31 2010 Sutkoski Matt July 29 2009 Vermont volunteering thrives Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 1B Walsh Molly June 8 2007 Vermont doing better than most Burlington Free Press King Ledyard June 8 2007 State tests put image ahead of performance Burlington Free Press US Department of Education Archived August 25 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved July 6 2008 Lawmaker s education tax overhaul aims to slow spending VTDigger vtdigger org January 9 2018 Retrieved January 14 2018 Vermont is No 2 in grad rates Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont June 19 2010 pp 1A Starr Tina June 15 2013 Historically rural areas have lost population The Chronicle Barton Vermont p 11 Lefebvre Paul March 13 2013 Vermont has lowest student to teacher ratio in U S the chronicle Barton Vermont p 14 Johnson Tim June 20 2010 Ditch the ride and catch a ride Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 1C Woolf Art July 18 2013 Vehicle registration declines with population in Vt The Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 2C Archived from the original on July 18 2013 Retrieved July 18 2013 Page Candace July 28 2013 Riding Green The Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 1C State to inspect bridges similar to Minn span Burlington Free Press August 4 2007 page 1B Roadwork Vermont highways don t measure up Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont September 7 2010 pp 1B Microsoft Word ps360final doc PDF Reason org June 1 2007 Archived from the original PDF on October 25 2007 Retrieved July 31 2010 Vermont information Times Daily Retrieved October 14 2007 Sutkowski Matt December 7 2008 Mixed drinks mixed feelings Burlington Free Press Vermont DUI Laws Archived from the original on January 14 2010 Burlington Free Press dead link Retrieved June 30 2008 Date PDF Archived from the original PDF on September 2 2011 Retrieved January 25 2012 staff wire reports January 23 2009 Vt has few uninsured motorists Burlington Free Press Office of Senator Patrick Leahy December 22 2009 Pilot program will route heavy trucks onto interstate the Chronicle Barton Vermont the Chronicle p 33 Starr Tena September 28 2011 Leahy tries again to move trucks to the interstate the Chronicle Barton Vermont the Chronicle p 10 Communities Prohibiting Billboards Scenic America Hawaii Fact 15 of 50 No Billboards In The 50th State Go Visit Hawaii July 17 2009 Ferry Routes to from New York Go Vermont Vermont Agency of Transportation Retrieved August 22 2022 Ethan Allen Express Amtrak Vermonter Train Amtrak Locations Vermont Greyhound com Archived from the original on March 16 2010 Retrieved July 31 2010 Bus Stops Archived November 4 2014 at the Wayback Machine Megabus Retrieved November 4 2014 VT NY NH Bus Service Vermont Translines Retrieved November 4 2014 Bennington VT Bus Service Archived November 23 2015 at the Wayback Machine Yankee Trails World Travel Retrieved November 11 2015 Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2022 PDF American Public Transportation Association August 29 2022 Retrieved September 28 2022 Local Bus Routes Go Vermont Vermont Agency of Transportation Retrieved August 24 2022 Staff February 8 2019 BTV secures second Denver direct flight Vermont Business Magazine Retrieved May 23 2019 Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport RUT Connecting Southern Vermont to the World flyrutlandvt com 3 V S A 839 d Publication of proposed rules Title 3 Executive Chapter 25 Administrative Procedure 2009 Retrieved February 15 2011 Newspapers of Record Vermont Secretary of State Archived from the original on April 11 2019 Retrieved April 10 2019 Radio Frequencies Stations Find a Station Coverage Map Vpr net Retrieved January 25 2012 USA Vermont Radio Stations Live Internet Radio Feeds Instantly Listen to USA Vermont Radio Online Radiotower com Archived from the original on January 3 2012 Retrieved January 25 2012 Linowes Lisa December 8 2010 Vermont s pending price shock Barton Vermont The Barton Chronicle p 6 Vermont Ranked 6 for Well Being Vermontbusiness com February 15 2010 Archived from the original on May 13 2011 Retrieved July 31 2010 Study ranks Vermont third in well being of children Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont July 28 2010 pp 1B County Health Rankings National Comparisons Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin 2010 Archived from the original on February 20 2010 State Partnership Supports Quality Improvement in Pediatric Practices Leading to More Evidence Based Care Better Care Coordination and High Satisfaction in Participating Practices Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality October 2 2013 Retrieved October 21 2013 State Partnership Supports Quality Improvement in Pediatric Practices Leading to More Evidence Based Care Better Care Coordination and High Satisfaction in Participating Practices Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality June 5 2013 Retrieved June 6 2013 Healthiest States 2007 AOL Money amp Finance Money aol com Archived from the original on January 22 2009 Retrieved July 31 2010 Remsen Nancy December 4 2008 Vermont tops healthy list again Burlington Free Press Staff July 2 2009 Fairly fit Vermont still gaining with U S Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 1A Baird Joel Banner June 30 2010 Study Vermont among least obsese states Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 1A Remsen Nancy July 8 2011 Vermont is getting fatter Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 1A Archived from the original on January 18 2013 Study Alcohol pot use high among Vt youths Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont Associated Press August 4 2011 pp 1C Morgan Quitno Press Money aol com Archived from the original on January 29 2009 Retrieved July 31 2010 South Lags In Report Card on Health Care AOL Body Body aol com November 30 2009 Archived from the original on September 17 2018 Retrieved July 31 2010 Sutkowski Matt August 16 2008 Disaster declarations in Vermont Burlington Free Press Overberg Paul Hundreds of counties would fail smog standards USA Today June 22 2007 Moore Mark October 31 2008 Letter to the editor Question credibility of single payer plans Burlington Free Press Hallenbeck Terri December 23 2008 Vermont uninsured rate falls to 7 6 survey shows Burlington Free Press Green Mountain Care Programs Green Mountain Care Archived from the original on May 14 2010 Remsen Nancy January 24 2009 HEALTH Changes are among budget s most controversial Burlington Free Press Remsen Nancy August 10 2009 Health reform criticized Burlington Free Press Burlington Vermont pp 6A Long term care costs rise across the board from 2008 to 2009 PDF metlife com October 27 2009 Archived from the original PDF on January 13 2013 Retrieved March 21 2013 Vermont Department of Health September 2 2009 Aircraft to drop rabies vaccines Barton Vermont the Chronicle p 25 town offices Sec state vt us Archived from the original on November 25 2010 Retrieved July 31 2010 Ron Snell March 4 2004 State Balanced Budget Requirements Provisions and Practice Ncsl org Archived from the original on July 28 2010 Retrieved July 31 2010 Moody s gives highest bond rating to Vermont PDF Burlington Free Press February 6 2007 p 7A Archived from a, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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