You wouldn’t expect a paradise of state forests, ski mountains and Phish Food to struggle for permanent residents … and yet it appears the Green Mountain State’s census could use a kick in the pants.
Vermont recently signed into law a plan to put aside $10,000 for anyone ready to move to the state and establish residency. The stipulation? You must work for an out-of-state employer, and be able to work remotely in your new home. The grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis — paid out over a two year period, starting January 1, 2019 — and are finite. The state’s allotted $125K for the first year and $250K for 2020, then will drop back down to $125K in 2021.
It’s clear that with a population of just 625,000 (making Vermont the second-least populated state, just above Wyoming) that Vermont is sick of being the fair-weather mistress to the north. The state reels in $2.5B a year from steady tourism, but with this grant (and other new programs like the Stay to Stay Weekend initiative), it seems determined to entice on an ever-burgeoning demographic of I-can-work-from-wherevers to relocate permanently.
And if you like lakes, bikes, snow, beer, weed and timber-truss-covered bridges, your “wherever” might very well be Vermont.
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Main image: Wikimedia Commons
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