In this video essay, Vermont transplant Morgan Gold examines the demographic and economic pressures that are making the Green Mountain State increasingly difficult for ordinary residents. Drawing on data about the state’s aging population, the lowest fertility rate in the country, net out-migration of young people, rising property taxes, school funding challenges, and a tightening housing market, he argues that Vermont is no longer as sustainable as its reputation suggests.

Gold walks through the numbers and real-world consequences for schools, the workforce, small towns, and the middle class—without offering simplistic fixes—while reflecting on what these trends mean for anyone who lives in, loves, or is considering a future in Vermont.