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vases t1_iyfmzcv wrote

I can earn 50% more in my field (government administration) elsewhere in southern New England, with a lot more job options at that, than in Vermont. That was a big factor for leaving, although I can still visit. But yeah, the Vermont Tax is very, very real.

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immersedinideas OP t1_iyfploi wrote

It is definitely real. You kinda get what you pay for though. The way of life in Vermont is hard to find anywhere else.

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tallardschranit t1_iygau9z wrote

I visited for 10 days and tried really hard to figure out how my wife and I could stay. It's a long term goal for now.

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-sallysomeone- t1_iyjiaal wrote

Its no VT, but close to it is Grafton County, NH. Property taxes still suck, but no income or sales tax can help balance a budget. Good country living, close to VT but also close to Boston, relatively speaking. People are sometimes a little different in NH than VT, but you can still find great communities, farms, arts, food/drink, etc. I've lived in both states and enjoyed each in their own right.

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yeahimsadsowut t1_iyjj62r wrote

What’s the cultural difference between Vermont and New Hampshire in your opinion?

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-sallysomeone- t1_iykji6d wrote

Speaking in broad stereotypes for ease of description, VT can be more hippie, more politically liberal, more green (multiple meanings intended), and just overall "more chill," which I prefer. The "live and let live" kind of folks.

There are pockets of VT that are primarily tourist focused (Killington, Jay Peak) and that can certainly affect a local vibe. And as with anywhere, there are small minded residents too. In highschool, I remember the "take back VT" people who were against same sex marriage and weren't quiet about it.

NH is definitely a purple state, politically. Indigent towns next to wealthy ones. More industrialized in the southeastern area. Less easy to stereotype as a whole, but lots of "live free or die" folks, both in their own red or blue ways. Red governor and blue senator are a nice balance imo (putting personal opinions aside)

Western NH feels like VT, southern NH feels like MA. Northern NH is more like ME. All within a three hour drive.

Source: lived in VT, NH, and ME for 30 years.

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edrny42 t1_j094dm9 wrote

You'd be welcomed! I've been to 49 out of the 50 states and I can tell you there is nothing like coming back home to Vermont - nowhere I would rather be.

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bigtimesauce t1_iynodh3 wrote

You don’t have poverty and boredom where you’re at now?

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Horror-Problem-7278 t1_iyjlhub wrote

Yes I lived in Vermont for about a decade and loved it. I moved out during the pandemic for family reasons and want to go back. But I really can’t as far as I can figure without taking a significant pay cut and increase in cost of living.

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popquizmf t1_iyocnym wrote

I hear that. An equivalent position to mine in other states would get me at least a 50% pay raise. If I went west coast my wife and I could double our salaries.

All that is to say that we moved here and paid too much for a house but both were able to obtain reach jobs for ourselves. The pay is the same as my last job, so I didnt take a hit and neither did the wife.

It's been... Wonderful moving here. I wish I could enjoy the outside more, but that'll come once the amazing folks at the white river junction VA get me fixed up.

The only negative here is the night driving and short days in the winter. The rest has been great. My kids loooove it here. I'm so glad I came back to New England, and specifically the upper valley in VT.

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