How does rural Vermont compare to rural Maine and New Hampshire?

11 comments

1. In what ways? Culturally, they’re all very similar.

2. More hippies, fewer libertarians.

3. There is really not much of a difference. Its all northern-rural New England. Though, VT will probably have more hippies.

4. In most ways they’re pretty similar, anything particular you want to know about?

5. Vermont has a more farmy vibe than New Hampshire. Culturally, it’s a little more influenced by NYC and Montreal, as far as who vacations there, etc. NH has generally more of a motorcycle vibe but there’s plenty of that in Vermont too. Don’t know Maine as well but it’s so big the remote areas are more remote than their counterparts in VT or NH.

6. I mean they’re all pretty similar… what specific ways are you looking for?

7. Rural Vermont votes much bluer than New Hampshire and slightly bluer than Maine.

8. I live in northern Vermont and the neighboring areas of rural New Hampshire seem pretty similar, but there are some subtle differences.

   New Hampshire seems to have larger stretches of undeveloped wilderness than Vermont and Maine has even more.

   This is less relevant today, but the small towns in Vermont seem to have been built more around agriculture, whereas in New Hampshire and Maine, industry seems to have formed the basis more often, particularly lumber.

   The hippie presence in rural Vermont is over-stated. Maybe the political culture here is definitely a little more left-leaning than Maine and New Hampshire. Most of the hippies didn’t stay rural very long. Modern-day hippies tend to live in Burlington and Montpelier. I see far more “Lets Go Brandon” signs in New Hampshire.

   Vermonters tend to stick closer to home. You see Maine and NH license plates all the time in Vermont, the converse is less true.

9. VT is more rural and more farms. But other than that they’re pretty similar

10. One has a maple syrup syndicate

11. If you’re not from there, the vibe is all very similar. I just visited from the PNW and I’d have a hard time telling you differences between eastern Mass, Connecticut, NH, Vermont, and the non coastal parts of Maine. However, coastal Maine has a very different energy than rural NE.