Cresswind at Lake Harris
Tavares, Florida
Middlebury, Vermont
What It Is Like to Retire in Middlebury
Located in western Vermont near the New York border, Middlebury, Vermont, is home to one of America's top liberal arts colleges, Middlebury College. It has to be one of the top settings for a college town of anywhere, and has attracted many baby boomers who are making it their retirement community. The population is 7,000 (2020). Two of the big attractions of Middlebury are it writers conferences and summer language programs. For example, annual Bread Loaf Writers' Conference is the oldest writer's conference in the U.S. Others would argue that its pretty scenery in the hills of the Champlain Valley and small town setting are tops. The Middlebury campus is on a hill west of the village of Middlebury. Students at Middlebury refer to it as "Club Midd." There are quads and open spaces along with views of the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks. Old Stone Row is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The postmodern architect Robert Venturi said, "Middlebury looks like what everyone thinks an American campus should be but seldom is."
Where to Retire in Middlebury and Home Prices
Retirees can live in town or in some of the active adult and independent living communities being built here, such as Eastview (a non-profit adult community). According to Zillow, the median home value was $412,658 in mid-2023, up about 6% from a year earlier.
What Is Special about Middlebury
Vibrant downtown in a small college town makes Middlebury special, along with recreational, intellectual and cultural amenities, many non-profit volunteer opportunities, great local hospital, variety of housing types. Middlebury has an excellent local bookstore, the Vermont Book Shop. This fixture in the local scene began in 1949.
What Is Not Special about Middlebury
Vermont winters, if you don't appreciate cold weather. Middlebury is remote from any large city, although Burlington is not too far.
Who Will Like Retirement in Middlebury
People who like college towns, culture, mountains, and Vermont, will love it in Middlebury.
Local Economy Is Driven by
Education and tourism
Climate and Physical Environment
Middlebury is located in west-central Vermont near Otter Creek falls. The town is bordered by the foothills of the Green Mountains to the east. Winters are cold (average low about 10 degrees or less), and summers warm (average high about 80).
Restaurants & Cultural Scene
The Breadloaf School of English and the Breadloaf Writers Conference provide a strong cultural infusion. The latter was the creation of Robert Frost. The summer foreign language schools are world famous. The Mahaney Center for the Arts serves as the college and community visual and performing arts facility. The Center hosts the Middlebury College Museum of Art, the Seeler Studio Theatre, dance theatre, music library, and a 370-seat recital hall. There are film programs in Dana Auditorium.
Crime
The crime rate is low in Middlebury, about a third of the national index.
Medical facilities
Porter Medical Center
Transportation
Burlington International is 32 miles away.
Valuable Links
Wikipedia on Middlebury Middlebury City-Data More community reviews at Topretirements Mini-guide to retirement in Vermont Middlebury College Vermont Craig's List
Comments on "Middlebury"