Vermont and New Hampshire
Both are bordering states in these United States in a region known as New England, the area of the country first settled by European colonists
when they came over and, you know, kicked Native American nations off their lands throughout the 1600s.
The Connecticut River separates them, and each joke the other state is the upside-down version of itself.
That's pretty good.
So although Vermont and New Hampshire are right next to each other, and although they are about the same size, and although even the shape of each state is similar to a point where people often mix them up, there are a lot of differences between the two.
Before we get to the differences, let’s keep going with what they have in common.
Both have a lot of natural beauty, filled with rolling hills, mountains, streams, lakes, and forests.
Both have plenty of protected land.
Vermont has the Green Mountain National Forest and New Hampshire has the White Mountain National Forest.
The Green Mountains in Vermont and White Mountains in New Hampshire are both part of the northern Appalachian Mountains,
a range that goes up and down the eastern portion of the country.
New Hampshire has the taller highest peak of the two states, with Mount Washington, one of the windiest places on earth.
On April 12, 1934, scientists recorded a wind speed of 231 miles per hour on the top of the mountain,
which is still the world record for wind speed if you don’t count cyclones or tornadoes.
Vermont does have a more rugged terrain, overall, and in fact New Hampshire’s land gets all chill and flat in the southeast portion of the state.
It even borders the Atlantic Ocean. For 18 miles (29km).
The shortest ocean coastline of any state, but at least it’s not landlocked like Vermont!
Tons of Americans who live in the NORTHEAST MEGALOPOLIS go to both Vermont and New Hampshire for tourism, especially for outdoorsy stuff like fishing, hunting, and hiking.
Winter sports like skiiing and snowmobiling are also big in the winter in both states.
Oh, and don’t forget the fall foliage! Oh my, it’s so pretty.
Jim Gaffigan: The foliage!
Let's drive by the foliage.
It's so beautiful the way the leaves die.
Both states have a lot of people with lighter skin.
The vast majority of people in both states trace most of their ancestry back to Europe.
The earliest European settlers were mostly Puritans and other groups from Britain, but before the English arrived French explorers checked out both states.
These European settlers encountered various Native American nations already living there for hundreds of years.
Most of them were Algonquian-speaking Abenaki tribes, although in Vermont the Pennacook and Mohican tribes also resided.
During the colonial era, both Vermont and New Hampshire were controlled by the British, although both were threatened at their borders by the French.
New Hampshire was one of the original British 13 colonies, and Vermont was not.
New Hampshire actually used to claim parts of what today is Vermont, which was also claimed by other colonies and mostly unsettled by the British during this time.
It actually was its own country for a short while.
After the United States gained independence and became a country in 1776, New Hampshire was one of its first states.
It became the 9th state to ratify the Constitution in 1788, and Vermont became the 14th state three years later.
Both states shared similar patterns of growth, with their populations dramatically growing during the early 1800s but slowing way down by the end of the century.
Contrary to popular belief, politically speaking Vermont and New Hampshire are fairly similar.
Vermont has a reputation for being left-leaning on the political spectrum- I mean this is where Bernie Sanders is from, for crying out loud.
But it’s also where Calvin Coolidge was from.
Vermont reliably voted for a Republican for President almost every election up until 1988.
Even though New Hampshire has a reputation as a low-tax state where a bunch of libertarians are trying to move to, it has still mostly voted for Democrats in presidential elections over the last 25 years.
Both states are mostly Christian, but really both states aren’t that religious.
34% of Vermont residents consider themselves religious, while 35% of New Hampshire residents consider themselves religious.
Both states have residents that are, on average, much older than the average age of people in other states.
So not only are both states old. Both states are OLD.
Both states have low unemployment rates.
Vermont’s is currently 3.3% and New Hampshire’s is currently 2.4%.
Both states also have a similar percentage of residents who graduated from college.
About 36% of residents in both Vermont and New Hampshire have at least a bachelor’s degree.
Both states have some of the highest high school graduation rates as well.
Both states rank in the top 10 for healthiest in the country.
I know that already I have explained some differences between Vermont and New Hampshire, but let’s now spend the rest of the video exclusively looking at how these two states contrast.
Despite being about the same size, New Hampshire has a larger population than Vermont.
In fact, it has more than twice as many people.
Vermont is the second smallest state in the country in terms of population.
Its largest city, Burlington, has just 42,000 people.
New Hampshire’s largest city, Manchester, has about 111,000.
New Hampshire’s population is currently growing at a faster rate. In fact, Vermont’s population has recently been declining.
It’s more expensive to live in New Hampshire. But that’s overall.
For example, it’s actually 9.5% less expensive living in Manchester, New Hampshire compared to living in Burlington, Vermont.
However, if you look at a city like Rutland, Vermont, you are going to find much better deals than any comparable place in New Hampshire, so it kind of depends on what part of each state we’re talking about.
The biggest three industries in Vermont are healthcare, education, and retail.
The three biggest in New Hampshire are healthcare, manufacturing, and retail.
Vermont has the smallest economy in the United States.
New Hampshire’s is ranked 39, and has a much more promising future for industry growth.
Agriculture has always been more of a focus in Vermont compared to New Hampshire, where they have historically been more open to industry.
New Hampshire residents tend to make more money than Vermont residents.
The poverty rate in Vermont is 11.9%, compared to just 7.3% in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire has the lowest poverty rate in the country.
The minimum wage in Vermont is $10.50 an hour, but by 2024 it will be $15 an hour.
In New Hampshire, it’s just $7.25 an hour, which is also the federal minimum, and it doesn’t appear to be going up any time soon.
Vermont tends to be a little less open to outsiders.
In fact, people who have lived in Vermont for a long time have a name for outsiders. They call them "flatlanders."
Vermont has higher taxes overall.
New Hampshire has historically gone more out of its way to attract new businesses to its state compared to Vermont.
Vermont has a law called Act 250, which greatly limits real estate development.
Although, Vermont recently announced it will pay people up to $10,000 to live there if they have a full-time job where they can work remotely.
But yeah, I mentioned taxes. Let’s get more into that.
New Hampshire doesn’t have an income tax OR a sales tax. So how the heck do they get money?
Well, the state has really high property taxes.
Vermont just taxes you for, well, like everything, but at least their property taxes are lower.
And while they have some of the highest taxes in the United States, their social services are way above average because of it.
And boy is the New Hampshire government frugal. They barely pay its state representatives anything.
Vermont famously banned billboards in 1968, so when you drive down a highway in Vermont today you will see this,
as opposed to this, in neighboring New Hampshire.
Vermont puts a lot more emphasis on supporting local businesses.
The state prides itself in letting everyone know that its capital city, Montpelier, is the only capital in the country without a McDonald’s.
Oh, and there are only 6 Walmarts in the entire state.
Every four years, New Hampshire is home to the first primary election for the Democratic Party and Republican Party to pick their nominees for President.
Sooo I predict that in early 2020 a bunch of journalists will be hanging out there.
Vermont is known for having quite the characters running for political office there, like this unforgettable cast who ran for governor in 2014.
The reason why obscure candidates in Vermont are actually seen is because Vermont lets them debate on TV, which I think, frankly, is amazing. It’s awesome.
Marijuana is completely legal in Vermont.
Medical marijuana is currently legal in New Hampshire, but it’s sure looking like marijuana will also be completely legal there soon as well.
Vermont made headlines when it became the first state in the country to legalize same-sex unions way back in 2000, fifteen years before the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision legalized same-sex marriages nationwide.
So yeah, as I go on and on with this video, maybe I am realizing that Vermont IS much more left-leaning than New Hampshire. Hmmm
So as much as the two states bicker and appear to be so different, Vermont and New Hampshire actually complement each other quite well.
I understand if you have a hard time making up your mind between the two if you want to live in either.
Hey I know! How about living somewhere along the lovely Connecticut River?
So, what do you think? Should I move my Vermont and become a full-time YouTuber so that we can get that sweet $10,000?
I’ve already got my Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and Green Mountain coffee. Eh?
Which state do YOU like better? Also, what did I forget?
What did I get right? What did I get wrong? Which states should I compare next?
Let me know in the comments below. Thank you for watching.