Having grown up in New England, I have always been a bit envious of those families that spent vacation time in mountain resort areas. Never having hit the slopes myself, our wintertime activities involved things on more flat land and smaller hills like sledding, and snowball fights. In the Winter we never traveled very far, instead, staying closer to home in Massachusetts.
Over the years I have explored topics like FIRE (financial independence/retiring early), living location independent and passive income. As a result of this, I have researched everything from stock market index funds and dividend investments to home vacation rental investments.
As part of one of my hobby projects, I was researching top winter resort areas and came across this study by Vacasa. The study highlighted two winter vacation locations in New England. The top location noted was Okemo/Ludlow, VT followed by Stowe, VT in 9th place.
Vermont Winter Weather
Having grown up in New England, I knew winter was cold. How cold was it in Vermont? It turns about the cold weather and snow in Vermont can arrive sooner than the official start of winter at the winter solstice (December 21 or 22) and stay much later than the official end at the spring equinox (March 21 or 22). Snow amounts in Vermont vary from winter to winter and from one region of the state to another. Near Lake Champlain, 60 inches of snow may fall each year. While in the southern Green Mountains, up to 120 inches of the white stuff can fall annually. The average temperature for the winter season is a chilly 22 degrees F. Thaws when temperatures reach 40 or 50 degrees F break up the cold weather and cause the snow to melt.
Vermont Winter Things to Do
There are lots of non-skiing things to do in Vermont that will add to your home renters experience.
- Go to a Concert
- Snowmobile
- Visit breweries and wineries
- Go on a Sleigh Ride
- Browse Art or Antiques
- Ride a Fat Bike
Vermont Winter Vacation Home Price Discounts Biggest During Peak Season.
Be sure to start looking during peak season, no matter when you plan to buy your winter vacation home. A new study looked at sales of single-family homes and condos from 2013 to 2017. The study concluded that the biggest discounts in home prices occur between October and February—with seven of the top days taking place in December.
Top Vermont Winter Vacation Home Ownership Locations & Prices
Okemo/Ludlow, VT Vacation Home Prices
In Okemo/Ludlow, VT the Vacasa study highlighted the following home prices, annual revenue, and market size.
Market size |
2,000+ rental units |
Median annual rental revenue |
$32,020 |
Median home price |
$273,600 |
Stowe, VT Winter Vacation Home Prices
In Stowe, VT the Vacasa study highlighted the following home prices, annual revenue, and market size.
Market size |
900+ rental units |
Median annual rental revenue |
$37,120 |
Median home price |
$593,200 |
Vermont Winter Recreation Videos
In exchange for writing this post, I was given a small gift. The gift in no way influenced what I wrote or thought.