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Essex County, VT

Rent vs Own in Essex County, Vermont

In Essex County the ownership stack ($1,175/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $1,007/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 2,327.

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Renting is cheaper in Essex County

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $1,007/mo - only a thin step below the $1,175/mo ownership stack. That is a $168/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Essex County

Primary driver

Income supports the median purchase price

Median household income is $59,294, and the 2.9x home-price-to-income ratio leaves room for the ownership stack (property tax alone is 5.1% of median income). The monthly gap above is more about mortgage rate and insurance assumptions than about the purchase price being out of reach.

Decision signal 2

The tax rate is a national headwind

Essex County's 1.76% effective rate is among the highest of 3,135 tracked counties: only about 95% pay more. Treat that recurring tax line separately from principal and interest.

Decision signal 3

Buying compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, Essex County ranks 2 of 14 Vermont counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 12 other Vermont counties on this measure.

Decision signal 4

HUD moved the rent benchmark up

HUD raised its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Essex County from $946/mo in FY2025 to $1,007/mo in FY2026: it increased by $61/mo (+6.4%). A rising rent benchmark widens the gap in favour of owning over time, because the mortgage share of the ownership cost below is fixed at origination while the rent it is compared against reprices every year.

Decision signal 5

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $172,500 for the median home and $3,035/yr in tax (1.76%), Essex County's ownership stack (~$1,175/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $1,007/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $168/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$1,175
Mortgage (P&I) $872
Property Tax $253
Insurance (est.) $50
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,007
Studio$780
1-Bedroom$919
2-Bedroom$1,007
3-Bedroom$1,400
4-Bedroom$1,640

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$59,294
$4,941/mo
Home Price / Income
2.9x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
5.1%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Even with the loan gone, the largest group of Essex County owners still owes $3,000 or more every year - a recurring holding cost of a few hundred dollars a month, which is why "paid off" understates the real cost of keeping property here.

Returns in the $75,000 to $100,000 range dominate the deduction in Essex County, though even in that band only about one in nine files for it nationally.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Chittenden County
Home: $439,200 Tax: $6,617/yr
Washington County
Home: $315,000 Tax: $5,498/yr
Rutland County
Home: $229,400 Tax: $4,154/yr
Windsor County
Home: $296,400 Tax: $5,458/yr
Franklin County
Home: $306,700 Tax: $4,332/yr
Windham County
Home: $279,600 Tax: $5,062/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Essex County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,007/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $860/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Essex County, Vermont? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Essex County (about $168/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
How much house can you afford in Essex County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $59,294 household here can afford up to $177,882, which comfortably covers this county's $172,500 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
What is the median home price in Essex County? ▼
$172,500, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. What stands out more than the price itself is the tax load on it: this county's 1.76% effective rate sits near the high end of the 3,135 counties tracked here.
How does Essex County compare to other Vermont counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 14 Vermont counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Essex County lands at spot 2, putting it in the more buy-favorable quarter of the state. The <a href="/states/vermont">Vermont state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.
Is rent going up or down in Essex County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has risen 6.4% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

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