The average student loan balance is $30,000 among Chittenden and Windsor county residents between the ages of 18 and 44. Only three counties in New England rank higher, according to recent research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston--Suffolk and Norfolk counties in MA and Grafton County in NH.
For young Vermonters, a perfect storm of relatively high student debt and VT's high prevailing rents means that many entry level incomes are stretched extremely thin.
The monthly financial burden of student debt can also make buying a home more difficult without programs designed for first-time home buyers such as those offered by VHFA.
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