[MTK1]

People are moving out of VT in huge numbers. I left Burlington 4 months to move back to CT after living there with my girlfriend for 4 years. We are both in our late 20's and the amount of friends in our age group that have left is staggering, many who were native Vermonters. She knows of only one friend from college still living in the area out of dozens of friends she had when she graduated a year ago. On my move out Budget truck rental said the amount of outbound trucks is 2-3 times what is coming in. They are having problems providing trucks. I have also run into so many former Vermonters in CT. When getting my license at the DMV in CT the clerk made a comment about the amount of Vermonter's getting CT licenses. The job outlook in VT is getting worse and worse. Once the heating season kicks in I think things are really going to go downhill from there.

Job openings thin out
Job openings thin out | burlingtonfreepress.com | The Burlington Free Press

Wages trimmed at IBM
Wages trimmed at IBM | burlingtonfreepress.com | The Burlington Free Press

[flu189]

I guess for those of us that actually own homes we can be somewhat glad that values have not plummeted, but my concern is that I see huge number of homes on the market in my area that are just not selling. I realize that when the time comes and if you are on a time table then by pricing it "right" can influence a sale, but then if this is what it will take then what really is the difference and benefit in having maintained value on paper, other than of course paying inflated taxes to feed the town and state coffers.

[MassVt]

...how much Burlington, and VT in general, have changed in the last 25 years. I grew up in Burlington in the 60's and 70's, and left in the '80's, and there is simply no resemblance today to yesteryear's Burlington. General Electric is gone, Digital is gone, IBM is "restructuring", and the Fanny Allen Hospital has been absorbed into Fletcher Allen Health Care. Home prices have gon through the roof, with not enough professional opportunities to fill those houses with families.What was once a haven for Burlington city natives and rural VTers has become home to urban Northeasterners from NY, NJ, CT, MA and RI.If VT is to survive, and not simply disintegrate, it must find ways to attract more industry and white-colar opportunities, otherwise Burlington will become a "boutique" city, benefiting only those that can afford it.

[Jither]

The largest employer in the State is .... the State of Vermont, and it runs on "grants" from the Feds. Years ago- in the 1980's, if memory serves, it was decided that Vermont would be non-industrial, and would rely on tourism; I believe Maine made the same decision at about the same time. Foes of this (myself included) said that this would cut down severely on good jobs, and the young would have to content themselves with "hamburger flipper" type salaries, or leave. Well ... guess what? They are leaving in droves. The state is indeed graying, and the one "industry" not mentioned as growing is Health (and Aging). Get ready for Vermont begging more & more for Federal $$$$$$$$$$. And more strings. And more restrictions. And higher taxes. Get me outta here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bobjsim]

It is a shame that so many people who want to live in Vermont simply cannot afford to do so. I lived there 10 years ago, and moved to the NH seacoast for economic opportunites. This is a good area to live too, and it also faces severe affordability issues (too close to the ocean and Mass( ), but I think NH has done a MUCH better job than VT or ME or recognizing that a state needs a broad economic base, manufacturing, high tech, tourism, agriculture, healthcare. Ask anyone about Vermont, they think skiing, ice cream, how beautiful it is. That's it. But how to make a living? Same with maine--lobsters and the beach.
Of course, you can say VT/ME is a microcosm of what is happening to this country. The middle class is being killed off. All our manufacturing jobs are shipped to asia. The disparity between the ruling class and the masses is growing every day. I saw then/see that now in Vermont with trust fund/out of state money buying their "dream houses, gentleman's farms, ski lodges, etc..", and most everyone else scrambling just to pay the bills. I know that we'll never solve this here. But it is interesting that a state that perceives itself as the progressive peoples paradise (I mean the state govt.) will not do anything to a attract new business, new technologies.

In my field, biotechnology, most states COMPETE to try to lure these companieshigh paying jobs with deals and tax incentives. What does VT do? Well, nothing as far as I can see. Several years ago I heard the Lt. Governer on Qubec radio station talking about how Vermont had to attract future technologies/business to survive in the 21st century. I wrote him a letter extolling biotechnology. That was over years ago. No biotechs up there. Probably not to many other cutting edge technology startups either. Maybe a few more llama farms.
Not that I'm saying every business has to be cutting edge 21st century technology, but come on. This state should be embracing clean, long term sustainable business, attracting young bright people who would LOVE to live there, but instead it just taxes, taxes taxes.

[Alt Dach]

Originally Posted by MassVt

...how much Burlington, and VT in general, have changed in the last 25 years. I grew up in Burlington in the 60's and 70's, and left in the '80's, and there is simply no resemblance today to yesteryear's Burlington. General Electric is gone, Digital is gone, IBM is "restructuring", and the Fanny Allen Hospital has been absorbed into Fletcher Allen Health Care. Home prices have gon through the roof, with not enough professional opportunities to fill those houses with families.What was once a haven for Burlington city natives and rural VTers has become home to urban Northeasterners from NY, NJ, CT, MA and RI.If VT is to survive, and not simply disintegrate, it must find ways to attract more industry and white-colar opportunities, otherwise Burlington will become a "boutique" city, benefiting only those that can afford it.

Will become a boutique city? The whole state has become a Norman
Rockwell fantasy playground for yuppyfied gentry from all over the country.Truly the worst place in the US for working and lower middle-class folk.Yuppies need to flock together in order to reinforce each others fantasies about VT and what wonderful people they themselves are.
And dont you dare point same out or they squeel like stuck pigs!

[Playball40]

So sad. Vermont is my dream location. I don't think I'll ever actually be able to live there.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by Playball40

So sad. Vermont is my dream location. I don't think I'll ever actually be able to live there.

I hope you're not basing your sad conclusion on the posts here. Everyone must determine for him/herself where it works to live. My husband and I each moved to Vermont because it's where we wanted to live. We are nowhere near to being yuppies/trustfunders (nor are the vast majority of Vermonters we know) and we do fine here.

We know many other plain folk who also enjoy Vermont and have no plans to leave. We also know people struggling to make ends meet, and not always succeeding. Of course, that happens everywhere.

Generalizations and stereotypes about the entire state of Vermont make no sense to me. While there are obviously people who fit into any stereotype, I don't believe that such exaggerations represent an entire state or region. And the stereotypes and generalizations I've read about here simply don't reflect my experience living and working in Vermont.

When I visit other places, I'm always grateful to come home to Vermont. I'm originally from South Florida and I wouldn't go back there for anything. I've been to many U.S. states and several other countries. Years ago, with an eye toward possibly relocating just to try something new, we checked out a few beautiful places that also had people and culture we could relate to. While we enjoyed them all, we realized we just plain prefer Vermont. It's home for us and we're staying.

I hope that one would decide for oneself. I hope that one wouldn't decide based on endless naysayers or sunny-side-up types either. Rather, I hope one will get the facts, run the numbers, and check in with the gut.

[flu189]

Sad indeed! As I type this I am at a hotel in Christiansburg, Va and though I only have a few days this trip to spend in this region, from what I have seen, research I have done, and folks I have spoken to here, it looks pretty good that this region will become home after I deal with issues and commitments back in Vt. Three years in Vt and after hearing the same mantra time and time again with no signs that there will be any real and significant efforts to work towards affordibility, well, it just has gotten old. With the markets in a yearlong tailspin decimating my efforts to add to my eventual retirement I just find it harder and harder to take the bogus talk and no action to rein in costs much less work toward reducing taxes in Vt. On the contrary, the costs each year leap well ahead of the cost of living index. Yes, sad indeed. I wonder within the next five years and after where in the world the state expects to glean their revenue from?

[NYtoVT]

How to make a small fortune in Vermont:

Come with a big one:

Flu is correct that housing prices have remained fairly steady, but you mark my words. After this winter, there is going to be a mass exodus out of the state and people will sell their homes for whatever they can get for them. Burning Grandma's dining room table to stay warm is not the answer.