Vermont Property Tax Calculator - Estimate Annual Bill by Appraised Value
The Vermont Property Tax Calculator estimates the annual bill from your town's appraised value by converting it to the equalized value with the Common Level of Appraisal, then applying the homestead or non-homestead education tax rate and your local municipal rate.
Vermont Property Tax Calculator
Results
What Is the Vermont Property Tax Calculator?
The Vermont Property Tax Calculator estimates the annual and monthly property tax on a Vermont home from its appraised value, the Common Level of Appraisal, the homestead or non-homestead education tax rate, and your town's local rate. Vermont funds schools through a statewide education tax rather than local school districts, and the bill you owe depends as much on how your town assesses property as on the price of the home.
- • Homeowners: Estimate the bill on a primary residence and see the effect of the income-sensitized education rate.
- • Landlords: Model a rental or seasonal property at the higher non-homestead rate.
- • Buyers: Convert the annual tax into a monthly escrow figure before making an offer.
- • Budget planners: Compare the all-in cost of homes across towns with different CLAs and local rates.
The calculator follows the same two-part structure the state uses. The statewide education tax is charged against the equalized value, and the local municipal tax is charged against the assessed value. Vermont's system is unusual because the largest single piece of the bill is set in Montpelier, not by your town.
You only need a few inputs to get a useful result: how your town values the property, its Common Level of Appraisal, whether the property is homestead or non-homestead, and the local rate. The tool returns the equalized value, the education tax, the local tax, the annual total, a monthly figure, and the effective rate as a percent of the appraised value.
Because Vermont has both a property tax and an income tax, pair your property estimate with the Vermont paycheck calculator to see your full state tax picture.
How the Calculator Works
The Vermont Property Tax Calculator applies Vermont's two-layer formula: convert the appraised value to the equalized value with the Common Level of Appraisal, charge the education tax at the homestead or non-homestead rate, then add the local municipal tax charged on the appraised value.
- Appraised value: The value your town lister assigns; Vermont towns assess at different ratios of market value.
- Common Level of Appraisal (CLA): Your town's assessment ratio; equalized value equals appraised value divided by the CLA.
- Education rate: The homestead or non-homestead statewide rate per $100 of equalized value.
- Local rate: Your town, county, and special-district rate per $100 of appraised value.
Dividing the annual tax by 12 gives the monthly amount lenders collect into an escrow account. The effective rate shows what you actually pay against the full appraised value and is higher than the education rate alone once the local tax is added.
The CLA matters because Vermont does not require towns to assess at full market value. A town that assesses low produces a CLA below 1.0, which scales the equalized value up before the statewide rate is applied.
Chittenden County homestead
Appraised value $350,000, CLA 0.90, homestead rate $1.00 per $100, local rate $0.70 per $100.
Equalized value = 350,000 / 0.90 = 388,889. Education tax = 388,889 x (1.00 / 100) = 3,889. Local tax = 350,000 x (0.70 / 100) = 2,450.
Annual tax = $6,339, about $528 per month.
The 0.90 CLA raises the equalized value above the appraised value, so the education tax is charged on more than the listed value.
According to Vermont Department of Taxes - Education Property Tax, The Vermont Department of Taxes explains how the statewide education tax, the homestead and non-homestead rates, and the Common Level of Appraisal are applied to property.
To see how Vermont's CLA and two-rate model differs from a state with no state education tax, the Texas property tax calculator is a useful contrast.
Key Concepts Explained
Four ideas explain why a Vermont property tax bill looks different from one in most other states.
Statewide education tax with two rates
Vermont funds schools with a single statewide education tax that has a homestead rate for primary residences and a higher non-homestead rate for rentals, seasonal, and commercial property, both set each year by the Legislature.
Common Level of Appraisal (CLA)
Because towns assess at different ratios of market value, the CLA converts the local assessed value into the equalized value the education tax rate is charged against: equalized value equals appraised value divided by the CLA.
Income-sensitized (targeted) education rate
A homestead that reports household income at or below the annual cap on the Homestead Declaration pays the education portion at a lower targeted rate, capping the education tax as a share of income.
Local municipal rate
On top of the education tax, your town, county, and special districts levy their own rate against the appraised value, and this is the part that changes from town to town.
Together these concepts show why two homes at the same price can owe different amounts: the CLA, the homestead or non-homestead choice, and the local rate all move the total.
A seasonal camp assessed low by its town may still carry a high education tax because the CLA scales its equalized value up to market levels before the non-homestead rate is applied.
For another state-level model built on an assessment ratio and a residential exemption, the Utah property tax calculator shows a different approach.
How to Use This Calculator
Follow these steps to get a reliable estimate for your Vermont property.
- 1 Find your appraised value: Look up the current assessed value on your town lister's notice or website.
- 2 Get your town's CLA: Find the Common Level of Appraisal for your town on the Department of Taxes equalization report.
- 3 Choose the property type: Select homestead for your primary residence or non-homestead for a rental, seasonal, or commercial property.
- 4 Enter the rates: Use the current statewide education rate and your town's local rate per $100 of value.
- 5 Read the results: Note the equalized value, education tax, local tax, annual total, monthly figure, and effective rate.
- 6 Compare scenarios: Re-run as homestead versus non-homestead, or with and without income sensitization, to see the difference.
A buyer choosing between a year-round home and a seasonal camp can enter each property type with the same value to see how the non-homestead rate changes the annual bill.
Landlords facing the non-homestead rate can model the operating cost of investment property with the rental property tax calculator before setting rent.
Benefits of Using This Calculator
The Vermont Property Tax Calculator helps you act on the result rather than just see a number.
- • See the income-sensitized savings: Running the tool with and without the targeted rate shows how much the Homestead Declaration can lower a qualifying household's education tax.
- • Plan escrow accurately: The monthly figure feeds into a mortgage payment estimate so you know the full carrying cost before closing.
- • Compare towns: Different CLAs and local rates change the bill more than small price differences, helping you choose where to live.
- • Model rentals and seasonal property: Landlords can apply the non-homestead rate to investment property before setting rent.
- • Understand the CLA effect: The equalized value output makes visible how your town's assessment ratio scales the education tax.
Because Vermont's education tax is set statewide, this tool isolates the local choices that actually move your bill: the CLA, the property type, and the town rate.
Running the estimate before you close lets you compare the all-in monthly cost of two offers rather than only the listed price. A lower price in a town with a low CLA and higher local rate can cost more per month than a higher price where the assessment and rates are friendlier.
Add the monthly escrow figure to your price ceiling with the home affordability calculator for a complete housing budget.
Factors That Affect Your Results
Several inputs and rules change the bill, and a few limits apply to any estimate.
Common Level of Appraisal
A CLA below 1.0 raises the equalized value above the assessed value, increasing the education tax even when the statewide rate is unchanged.
Homestead versus non-homestead
The higher non-homestead rate applies to rentals, seasonal, and commercial property and cannot use income sensitization.
Income-sensitized cap
A homestead at or below the income cap pays the lower targeted education rate; a household just above the cap reverts to the fixed rate.
Local municipal rate
Town, county, and special-district rates vary widely and are added on top of the education tax.
Appraised value changes
Rising local values push the local tax up and, with a fixed CLA, the equalized value and education tax as well.
- • The statewide education and income-sensitized rates shown here are illustrative current-year values; the Legislature sets them each fiscal year, so confirm the live figures with the Department of Taxes before relying on the estimate.
- • The estimate excludes special assessments, voter-approved additions, and any local option taxes that may appear on your town bill.
Treat the output as a planning estimate. Your official bill follows the rates and CLA adopted each year by the state and your town.
If your town revalues property, the CLA shifts and your equalized value moves with it, so the education tax can change even when the statewide rate stays flat.
According to Vermont Department of Taxes - Property Tax, The Vermont Department of Taxes sets the statewide education property tax rates each fiscal year and publishes the local rate sheets towns use.
According to Vermont Homestead Declaration (Form HS-122), The Homestead Declaration reports household income and determines whether a homestead qualifies for the income-sensitized education tax rate.
Combine the monthly tax with principal and interest using the mortgage calculator for the full monthly payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How is Vermont property tax calculated?
A: Vermont charges two layers. First, the statewide Education Property Tax is applied to the equalized value: divide your town's appraised value by its Common Level of Appraisal to get the equalized value, then multiply by the homestead or non-homestead rate per $100. Second, your town, county, and special districts levy a local rate against the appraised value. Adding the two gives the annual bill. For example, a $350,000 home in a town with a 0.90 CLA, the $1.00 homestead rate, and a $0.70 local rate owes about $6,339 a year.
Q: What is the difference between the Vermont homestead and non-homestead education tax rate?
A: The homestead rate applies to your primary residence; the non-homestead rate applies to rentals, seasonal camps, and commercial property and is set higher. Both are statewide rates set each fiscal year by the Vermont Legislature, not by your town. Because a seasonal or rental property always uses the non-homestead rate, the same building can owe very different education tax depending on how it is used.
Q: How does income-sensitized (income-based) education tax work in Vermont?
A: A homestead can report household income on the Homestead Declaration (Form HS-122). If that income is at or below the annual cap, the education portion is charged at a lower targeted rate instead of the fixed homestead rate, which caps the education tax as a share of income. Non-homestead property does not qualify regardless of income, and a homestead above the cap simply pays the fixed homestead rate.
Q: What is the Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) in Vermont?
A: Each town assesses property at its own ratio of market value. The CLA is that ratio, and the state uses it to convert your local assessed value into the equalized value the education tax rate is charged against: equalized value equals appraised value divided by the CLA. A CLA below 1.0 means the town assesses below market value, so the equalized value is higher than the assessed value, and the education tax rises accordingly.
Q: Are Vermont property tax rates the same in every town?
A: The education tax rates are statewide, so every town uses the same homestead and non-homestead rates. What changes town to town is the local municipal rate, the CLA, and whether a property is homestead or non-homestead. Two homes at the same price can owe different totals because their towns assess at different levels and levy different local rates.
Q: When are Vermont property taxes due?
A: Vermont property tax is billed by the town and collected in installments through the year, commonly a first installment around the start of the fiscal year and a second later in the cycle. Because towns set their own collection schedule, check your town's tax bill or lister for the exact due dates and any penalty for late payment.