# Where to Buy a Business in Vermont

Buyable means an establishment with five to ninety-nine employees in the 36 trades this site covers, counted from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (as of June 30, 2026) and the Census establishment file.

Source: https://searchspheresource.com/guides/states/vermont
Last checked: 2026-09-23

## The Opportunity

- Buyable businesses: 2,695 of 5,545 establishments in the covered trades
- Buyable per 100,000 residents: 415.6
- Share of the national buyable market: 0.2%
- Rank among the guided states: 48
- SBA change-of-ownership loans: 70 since FY2020, 16 of them in FY2025
- Median loan: $269,150
- Population: 648,493

## The Deepest Counties in Vermont

Nobody searches a state; they search a metro they can drive across. These hold the most buyable targets in the covered trades, each with its share of the state's.

- Chittenden: 786 buyable (29.2% of the state's)
- Rutland: 211 buyable (7.8% of the state's)
- Washington: 209 buyable (7.8% of the state's)
- Windsor: 186 buyable (6.9% of the state's)
- Windham: 166 buyable (6.2% of the state's)
- Bennington: 133 buyable (4.9% of the state's)
- Franklin: 105 buyable (3.9% of the state's)
- Addison: 93 buyable (3.5% of the state's)
- Caledonia: 75 buyable (2.8% of the state's)
- Lamoille: 68 buyable (2.5% of the state's)

## What Trades Run Deepest in Vermont

- Full-Service Restaurants (NAICS 722511): 448 buyable. https://searchspheresource.com/guides/buying-a-restaurant
- Limited-Service Restaurants (NAICS 722513): 294 buyable. https://searchspheresource.com/guides/buying-a-restaurant
- Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (NAICS 447110): 265 buyable. https://searchspheresource.com/guides/buying-a-convenience-store
- Child Care Services (NAICS 624410): 175 buyable. https://searchspheresource.com/guides/buying-a-childcare-center
- Offices of Dentists (NAICS 621210): 170 buyable. https://searchspheresource.com/guides/buying-a-dental-practice
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (NAICS 722515): 118 buyable. https://searchspheresource.com/guides/buying-a-restaurant

## Before You Close in Vermont

The transferee in a bulk transfer of a business whose owner collects Vermont trust taxes notifies the Commissioner in writing at least ten days before taking possession or before payment, whichever is earlier, whether or not either side believes any tax is owed. Without that notice the consideration carries a first priority right and lien for the transferor's taxes, may not be paid over, and the transferee is personally liable.

Cited as 32 V.S.A. section 3260.

## Next Door to Vermont

Nobody buys a state. These are the states Vermont touches, with the buyable businesses each holds in the same 36 trades.

- Massachusetts: 27,394 buyable (https://searchspheresource.com/guides/states/massachusetts)
- New Hampshire: 6,072 buyable (https://searchspheresource.com/guides/states/new-hampshire)
- New York: 64,697 buyable (https://searchspheresource.com/guides/states/new-york)

## Method and Source

- Establishment counts: 2023, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html
- Population: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html
- Lending: SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (as of June 30, 2026), FY2020 through FY2025

Site index for machines: https://searchspheresource.com/llms.txt