Owning in Vermont
Data from January 2026
Property tax in Vermont
The typical owner in Vermont pays $5,039 a year, about 1.59% of the home’s value (0.94% nationwide). Here are the exemptions and discounts the state publishes, the deadlines to claim them or appeal, and every county’s figure.
Key numbers in Vermont
- Typical tax
- $5,039
- per year, typical household
- 62% more than the U.S.
- Effective rate
- 1.59%
- tax ÷ value (estimate)
- 69% more than the U.S.
- United States
- 0.94%
- national effective rate
- Exemptions and relief
- 2
- published by the state, with the source
The state's rules
Vermont's rules, in one table
The assessment cap, the homestead exemption, when to protest and when to pay, as Vermont's official source states them. Tap "What the source says" to read the exact text.
| Rule | What Vermont says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Homestead exemption | Vermont has no homestead exemption that takes money off the value. Instead there is the Homestead Declaration (Form HS-122), which you must file with the Department of Taxes every year by April 15, even if you do not have to file an income tax return. With it, the school part of the tax (education tax) is charged at the homestead rate rather than the nonhomestead rate. To declare, you must be a Vermont resident and own and occupy the home as your domicile on April 1. If you file late, your municipality may charge a penalty; after Oct. 15 the home is classified as nonhomestead. What the source says· 32 V.S.A. § 5410“By Vermont law, property owners whose homes meet the definition of a Vermont homestead must file a Homestead Declaration annually by the April filing deadline. If eligible, it is important that you file so that you are correctly assessed the homestead tax rate on your property. … All property is considered nonhomestead, unless it is declared as a homestead . The education property tax rate levied on nonhomestead property differs from the rate levied on homestead property. … You are a Vermont resident You own and occupy a homestead as your domicile as of April 1, 2026. … Even if a person is not required to file a Vermont Income Tax Return, the declaration must be filed by the deadline. … If you file after the deadline, your municipality may assess one of the following penalties … If you fail to file your declaration by the October filing deadline, your property will be classified as nonhomestead.” | Vermont Department of Taxes Verified November 6, 2026 |
| Protest deadline Set by your county or town | If the town listers change your property's value, they mail you a notice with the change and the time and place where you can grieve, at least 14 days ahead. Hearings start by May 20 (unless the town has an extension). Present your objection to the listers. If you disagree with their final decision, you can appeal in writing to the board of civil authority, by lodging it with the town clerk, within 14 days of the notice of the decision. What the source says· 32 V.S.A. §§ 4111, 4221, 4404“(e) When the listers return the grand list book to the town clerk, they shall notify by first-class mail, on which postage has been prepaid and that has been addressed to their last known address, all affected persons listed as property owners in the grand list book of any change in the appraised value of such property … and also notify them of the amount of such change and of the time and place fixed in the public notice hereinafter provided for, when persons aggrieved may be heard. … Notices shall be mailed at least 14 days before the time fixed for hearing.” | Vermont Department of Taxes Verified November 6, 2026 |
| When to pay | Payment dates are set by each town or city. The town sends the bill once a year, but may have annual, semiannual or quarterly due dates. If you filed the Homestead Declaration and Property Tax Credit claim, the state's payment appears as the "Education State payment" and lowers what you owe. What the source says“J—Installment due dates (payment stubs not shown below) vary from town to town. … Towns send out bills only once per year, but may have annual, semi-annual, or quarterly payment due dates … H—The Education State payment is generally the Property Tax Credit. The State pays the credit, if any, directly to the municipality to reduce the amount of education tax owed for the homestead.” | Vermont Department of Taxes Verified November 6, 2026 |
Not verified yet: Cap on your home, Cap on other property, What triggers a new assessment, Older owners, Owners with a disability.
Did your assessment go up?By place
Every county, with its figure
What the typical owner pays in each county of Vermont, with the typical home value and the effective rate. Highest tax first.
| Chittenden County | $6,617 | $439,200 | 1.51% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addison County | $5,690 | $361,200 | 1.58% |
| Washington County | $5,498 | $315,000 | 1.75% |
| Windsor County | $5,458 | $296,400 | 1.84% |
| Grand Isle County | $5,195 | $394,100 | 1.32% |
| Windham County | $5,062 | $279,600 | 1.81% |
| Lamoille County | $4,785 | $304,700 | 1.57% |
| Bennington County | $4,580 | $279,900 | 1.64% |
| Orange County | $4,516 | $271,300 | 1.66% |
| Franklin County | $4,332 | $306,700 | 1.41% |
| Rutland County | $4,154 | $229,400 | 1.81% |
| Caledonia County | $4,022 | $227,900 | 1.76% |
| Orleans County | $3,692 | $223,400 | 1.65% |
| Essex County | $3,035 | $172,500 | 1.76% |
- Chittenden $6,6171.51%
- Addison $5,6901.58%
- Washington $5,4981.75%
- Windsor $5,4581.84%
- Grand Isle $5,1951.32%
- Windham $5,0621.81%
- Lamoille $4,7851.57%
- Bennington $4,5801.64%
- Orange $4,5161.66%
- Franklin $4,3321.41%
- Rutland $4,1541.81%
- Caledonia $4,0221.76%
- Orleans $3,6921.65%
- Essex $3,0351.76%
Effective rate: typical tax ÷ typical value, our estimate from two Census medians. Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates Average 2020–2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (external site)
Exemptions
Which exemption fits you?
What Vermont publishes for each case. You have to apply for almost all of them: none is applied on its own.
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If it is your main home
Vermont has no homestead exemption that takes money off the value. Instead there is the Homestead Declaration (Form HS-122), which you must file with the Department of Taxes every year by April 15, even if you do not have to file an income tax return. With it, the school part of the tax (education tax) is charged at the homestead rate rather than the nonhomestead rate. To declare, you must be a Vermont resident and own and occupy the home as your domicile on April 1. If you file late, your municipality may charge a penalty; after Oct. 15 the home is classified as nonhomestead.
What the source says· 32 V.S.A. § 5410
“By Vermont law, property owners whose homes meet the definition of a Vermont homestead must file a Homestead Declaration annually by the April filing deadline. If eligible, it is important that you file so that you are correctly assessed the homestead tax rate on your property. … All property is considered nonhomestead, unless it is declared as a homestead . The education property tax rate levied on nonhomestead property differs from the rate levied on homestead property. … You are a Vermont resident You own and occupy a homestead as your domicile as of April 1, 2026. … Even if a person is not required to file a Vermont Income Tax Return, the declaration must be filed by the deadline. … If you file after the deadline, your municipality may assess one of the following penalties … If you fail to file your declaration by the October filing deadline, your property will be classified as nonhomestead.”
Vermont Department of Taxes · Verified November 6, 2026
-
If you are a veteran
If you are a veteran with a VA disability rating of at least 50% and also receive disability compensation of 50% or more, a VA pension or a permanent medical military retirement pension, your home's value for tax purposes is lowered by $10,000 (or more, depending on your town). Your spouse, surviving spouse or dependents can also qualify. Each year by May 1, you send the VA Summary of Benefits letter and the exemption form to the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs. You can also claim the Property Tax Credit.
What the source says
“Veterans with a disability rating of at least 50% from the VA, their spouses, surviving spouses or dependents, so long as the veteran ALSO gets one of the following: … Disability income for a service-connected disability of 50% or more VA Pension, Improved Pension, or Widower’s Pension Permanent medical military retirement pension … Each year by May 1, get your “Summary of Benefits Letter” from the VA … Send both the letter and the form to the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs, 118 State St., Montpelier, VT 05602. … This program lowers your home’s value by $10,000 (or more, depending on your town), so you pay less property tax.”
Vermont Department of Taxes · Verified November 6, 2026
How it works
Where your bill comes from
The local government puts a value on your home, subtracts the exemptions you apply for and applies the rate of each body that taxes it: the county, the city, the school district and others.
- The value assigned to your home
- The exemptions you apply for
- The rates of each taxing body (county, city, schools)
- Your yearly bill
The effective rate on this page is something else: our estimate (typical tax ÷ typical value, from Census data) for comparing places. It is not the rate your local government sets.
Buying or selling
Taxes on the sale
Some states charge a tax or fee when the deed is recorded. What the official source says:
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State property transfer tax
Vermont taxes the transfer of property by deed. The general rate is 1.25 percent of value (or $1, whichever is greater). If the property will be the principal residence of the person receiving it, the tax is 0.5 percent of the first $200,000 and 1.25 percent of the value above $200,000. If the purchase mortgage is funded in part with a homeland grant through the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund, or the state housing finance agency (VHFA) or USDA Rural Development has committed to make or purchase it, there is no tax on the first $250,000 and 1.25 percent on the value above that.
32 V.S.A. §9602 · Vermont General Assembly (Vermont Statutes Online) · Verified October 24, 2026
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3.4 percent rate when the home will not be a primary residence
The transfer tax is 3.4 percent of value when the residential property is fit to live in year-round, will not be the principal residence of the person receiving it, and that person will not be required to provide a landlord certificate under section 6069.
32 V.S.A. §9602(4) · Vermont General Assembly (Vermont Statutes Online) · Verified October 24, 2026
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Clean water surcharge
On top of the transfer tax there is a surcharge of 0.22 percent of the property's value. It does not apply to the first $200,000 when the property will be the principal residence of the person receiving it, or to the first $250,000 when the purchase mortgage is funded in part with a homeland grant through the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund or the state housing finance agency (VHFA) or USDA Rural Development has committed to make or purchase it.
32 V.S.A. §9602a · Vermont General Assembly (Vermont Statutes Online) · Verified October 24, 2026
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Who pays the property transfer tax
The law makes the transfer tax the liability of the person who receives title (the buyer), unless the parties agree otherwise.
32 V.S.A. §9604 · Vermont General Assembly (Vermont Statutes Online) · Verified October 24, 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much is property tax in Vermont?
The typical owner pays $5,039 a year, about 1.59% of the home’s value, per the Census (Average 2020–2024). Nationwide the effective rate is 0.94%. Your bill depends on your county, city, school district and the exemptions you claim.
What is the deadline to protest the assessment in Vermont?
If the town listers change your property's value, they mail you a notice with the change and the time and place where you can grieve, at least 14 days ahead. Hearings start by May 20 (unless the town has an extension). Present your objection to the listers. If you disagree with their final decision, you can appeal in writing to the board of civil authority, by lodging it with the town clerk, within 14 days of the notice of the decision.
How do I apply for the homestead exemption in Vermont?
Vermont has no homestead exemption that takes money off the value. Instead there is the Homestead Declaration (Form HS-122), which you must file with the Department of Taxes every year by April 15, even if you do not have to file an income tax return. With it, the school part of the tax (education tax) is charged at the homestead rate rather than the nonhomestead rate. To declare, you must be a Vermont resident and own and occupy the home as your domicile on April 1. If you file late, your municipality may charge a penalty; after Oct. 15 the home is classified as nonhomestead.
When is property tax paid in Vermont?
Payment dates are set by each town or city. The town sends the bill once a year, but may have annual, semiannual or quarterly due dates. If you filed the Homestead Declaration and Property Tax Credit claim, the state's payment appears as the "Education State payment" and lowers what you owe.
Which county in Vermont pays the most property tax?
By amount, the highest typical tax is in Chittenden County ($6,617) and the lowest in Essex County ($3,035). By effective rate, the highest is Windsor County (1.84%) and the lowest Grand Isle County (1.32%).
What is the effective rate?
The typical tax divided by the typical home value in the same place. It is our estimate from two Census medians, not the rate your local government sets; it is for comparing places.