United States of America

Burlington, VT

Live Report

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An up-to-date picture of what the public is thinking, based on responses from verified residents across the city.We aim to hear from a mix of people that reflects Burlington's population, using Census and City demographic data as a guide. This makes the report more likely to reflect how people across the city truly feel.

Residents registered
131 in 3,673About 1 in 3,673 Burlingtonians are registered
Engagements · 30 days
19
Previous ReportsPrevious
November 2, 2026Report 1

Based on answers from 7 Burlington residents, collected October 18, 2026 to November 1, 2026. Updated every two weeks.

Representation score7%What this score means
The score combines two things:Who answered: How closely the group reflects Burlington’s population by age, gender, race, and where they live.How many answered: The number of people who took part.A high score needs both a mix of people that reflects Burlington and enough responses to give a reliable picture of how the city feels.
Timeframe15 days
In this report

City summary

Most of those who answered said homes and rents are out of reach: rent costs too much, buying feels risky, and some are unsure they can stay in Burlington. A few said groceries and basic needs are getting hard to afford, and that favorite businesses are closing. Still, one resident loves living in a clean, beautiful place, and another asks the city to work with other cities on housing.

AI-generated summary of resident responses. Every quote card below uses residents’ exact words.

Most Tagged Issues

Residents are invited to submit open-ended text responses. These are anonymous, but we verify that each comes from a real person. We read every response, add up to three tags for the issues it covers, and ask the resident to confirm we got the tags right.

Based on 7 Respondents collected over 15 Days:

Tap an issue for details.

#1Housing57%#2Spaces43%#3Safety29%#4Neighborhood29%#5Transportation29%#6Education14%#7Health14%#8Economy14%#9Other14%#10Environment14%

Each bar is the share of respondents whose answer was tagged with that issue. An answer can carry up to three tags, so the bars can add up to more than 100%.

Top Themes

We select quotes that capture residents' main points, then group similar quotes by theme. Each theme includes the original quotes, so you can read them, cite them, and see what the theme is based on.

#1 ThemeRaised by 57% of respondents

Homes and rents are out of reach

Rent and home costs are putting Burlington housing out of reach, including for people without homes.

🧑Mid 20s Other Gendered PersoninWard 3
Quote
I would like for there to be more affordable housing in Burlington
ID68X2Y1SF
RenterStudent
👨Mid 30s Man
Quote
I know rent is so expensive in Burlington. But I also know it’s so expensive everywhere else in the country, and even the world. so I would love to see us think about how we address this problem given that it’s really a national and even a global
IDP7KMG40M
Renter
👩Early 20s Woman
Quote
I know this is repetitive but buying a house is feeling increasingly out of reach and like an irresponsible idea. I want to stay in Burlington but feel uncertain about the likelihood that that will be possible. I am seeing gentrification take place and “affordable” housing developments underway that are not truly affordable.
ID0ER5DVSX
Renter

More voices

A few more quotes worth reading, about topics outside the main themes above.

👨Late 30s ManinWard 8
Quote
I saw a rat this summer and I use to never see rats. I hate rats and I feel like it’s the canary in the coal mine. Our city is declining.
IDWRT3QADB
Renter
👨Mid 30s Man
Quote
It does make me a little sad to see so many great businesses closing and leaving Burlington. Nectars, Radio bean, VPB bluebird barbecue now, earlier this year we lost Café hot, and others. I know that there’s always gonna be businesses turning over, but I worry that there’s gonna be more and more vacant storefronts, and that the way the economy is going it’s making it really hard to start a business or sustain a business. Because it’s hard for people to afford rent and it’s hard for people to have money to spend at a businesses. So I wish we could find ways to as a city and maybe work with the state to incentivize and make it easier for businesses to get started and keep the community vibrant.
IDE2ZED3CK
Renter
👴Senior Man
Quote
Desperate people sometimes steal stuff, sometimes not even valuable stuff. In our neighborhood. Hostility is not a thing I notice, but the ever present struggle to survive makes a walk less relaxed. The community, writ large, is responsible to create conditions where people can work for a better life.
IDRADZHBA9
RenterStudent
👩Early 20s Woman
Quote
It is increasingly challenging to save with increasing cost of living making the concept of buying a home or condo feel out of reach and irresponsible. My friends and neighbors are tight on cash, and I am feeling the increase in cost for basic needs
IDH7JNRCB9
Renter

Resident Ideas

We highlight particularly actionable, tangible, or unique ideas from residents. Our goal is to spark action in the real world, and action starts with an idea.

Join other cities on housing solutions

👨Mid 30s Man
Idea
Could we have coalitions across multiple cities or even states that allow us to work together to try to solve this problem at the wider scale that is really the scale that it’s happening? Of course, the federal government should do more, but we obviously can’t rely on them.
IDZX0H26FA
Renter
Housing

Appreciations

Making Burlington better also means recognizing what's working. Here's what residents love about the city, in their own words.

👩Early 20s Woman
Appreciation
I love living in a clean and beautiful place and it is very important for my quality of life, general happiness, and sense of wellbeing. Access to public spaces is something I’d sort of equate with environment, and transportation — but I selected environment as an umbrella term that feels applicable, since I also worry about climate change
IDQPYFYX0J
Renter
Archive

Previous Reports

This live report is updated every two weeks. Previous reports are archived here for research and citation.

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