Almost all Vermont cities saw property tax increases in the new fiscal year, in some cases by more than 30%.
This happened after a turbulent voting season on the school budget, when a third of school budgets failed at the first attempt and the legislature has tried Reduce the spike.
Of the 257 cities and villages for which tax data is available, 87% of cities saw an increase in their property taxes in fiscal year 2025. Granville saw the largest increase, with a 38% increase in tax rates, while Fairlee saw the largest decrease, at 20.6%.
This year, 30 towns were reassessed – meaning tax rates are applied to different property values and therefore are not directly comparable. To calculate a difference, Vermont Public took the median property value of all properties in each town per year (using preliminary 2024 data), calculated its property tax liability assuming there were no exemptions or tax credits, and then compared the two amounts.
Of the 29 reassessed cities for which data is available, Windham saw the largest increase in taxes owed at 39%, while Kirby saw the largest decrease at 10.1%. The actual tax data for these cities will change once the overall list is finalized.
Any property used as a primary residence in the annual Homestead Declaration pays property tax intended solely for education in the state. Properties not declared as a primary residence, including non-residential properties, pay a flat non-property tax rate instead.
Most taxpayers do not pay the full rate; about two-thirds of owner-occupied homes receive an income-based property tax credit.
Taxes and affordability are among the top issues on Vermonters’ minds this election season, according to what Vermonters told Vermont Public they want to hear candidates talk about.
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