Vermont Zombie Survival Index: 88/100

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The three tests

Vermont scored three times

A state that handles shamblers can get erased by sprinters. Here is how Vermont performs under each outbreak model.

Walking DeadThe Walking Dead

95

Slow zombies reward distance, terrain, food and freshwater. Vermont has about 644,663 people and 1.2 million acres in farm operations, with 220,000 cattle and calves. The population figure is what carries this score — there is simply very little here to turn.

World War ZWorld War Z

92

Fast zombies turn evacuation into a race against the road network. Vermont has no large metro to funnel anyone into, and the Green Mountains are genuine defensive terrain. It scores among the best in the country here, which is unusual for a Northeastern state.

Last of UsThe Last of Us

78

Yes, we know they're not technically zombies. This is Vermont's weakest test, and the reason is scale. Dairy, maple and local agriculture are productive, but there is no Midwest-sized surplus to fall back on across a long collapse.

What helps

Green Mountains, forests, river valleys, lakes and low-density rural communities
Lake Champlain, rivers, groundwater, mountain snowpack and abundant precipitation
1.2 million acres in farm operations
220,000 cattle and calves
2.513 billion pounds of milk, 3.009 million gallons of maple syrup and substantial hay and silage production in 2025
A small regional system supported by hydro, biomass, solar and imported regional power
The Vermont National Guard, Camp Johnson and Air National Guard assets

What hurts

Productive dairy and local agriculture, but not Midwest-scale surplus
Extreme winter weather, flooding, ice storms, windstorms and localised landslides
Heat, fuel, ploughing, storage and maintenance are all mandatory
The safest rural areas are farthest from advanced care

Favour the Northeast Kingdom or rural central Vermont near farms, freshwater and wood heat — but stay close enough to a community to survive winter.

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The reason for the score

Vermont's zombie superpowers

Green Mountains, forests, river valleys, lakes and low-density rural communities determine movement, observation, evacuation and settlement options. The best refuge needs terrain plus water plus food plus energy plus access.

1 · Population

Only about 645,000 people statewide. There is barely anyone here to become a problem.

2 · Mountains and forests

The Green Mountains create real defensive terrain and genuine separation between valleys.

3 · Freshwater

Lakes, rivers, groundwater and reliable precipitation make water a solved problem.

4 · Winter

Cold is one of Vermont's biggest anti-zombie advantages, and it arrives on schedule.

The catch

Scale, winter and medical depth

Food scale

Vermont has productive dairy and local agriculture, but not Midwest-scale surplus. Over a decade, that matters.

Winter logistics

Heat, fuel, ploughing, storage and maintenance are mandatory, not optional.

Medical depth

The safest rural areas are also the farthest from advanced care.

The framework

25 survival factors, scored 1–10

Every state is measured on the same 25 factors. Weighting shifts by scenario — terrain matters more against sprinters, agriculture matters more in a long collapse.

01 Population density Very low density 10/10

02 Major city exposure No large metro exposure 10/10

03 Road escape capacity Adequate roads, but mountain and winter access can narrow 7/10

04 Freshwater availability Excellent lakes, rivers, groundwater and snowpack 10/10

05 Agricultural capacity 1.2 million farm acres 6/10

06 Food self-sufficiency Strong dairy and local food but limited total scale 7/10

07 Wilderness & remote land Large forest and low-density rural areas 9/10

08 Natural defensive terrain Green Mountains are elite terrain 10/10

09 Climate survivability Cold climate is demanding 6/10

10 Winter zombie suppression Elite winter suppression 10/10

11 Natural disaster risk Flooding and severe winter weather 6/10

12 Energy production Small regional energy system 6/10

13 Off-grid energy potential Hydro, biomass and solar help 8/10

14 Medical resources Limited advanced medicine outside core areas 6/10

15 Military & Guard presence Guard assets but few major installations 6/10

16 Emergency management Strong winter and flood response capability 8/10

17 Supply & logistics Long regional supply chains are a weakness 5/10

18 Infrastructure vulnerability Winter and regional-grid dependence 6/10

19 Survival resource availability Water, timber, dairy, maple and wildlife resources 9/10

20 Evacuation & refuge potential Excellent refuge potential 9/10

21 Natural barriers & water access Mountains, rivers and lakes create barriers 10/10

22 Distance from population centers Very far from major population centers by Northeast standards 10/10

23 Chokepoint & bridge dependency Mountain roads can choke 8/10

24 Hunting, fishing & foraging Excellent hunting, fishing and foraging 10/10

25 Long-term settlement potential Strong if winter logistics and food scale are solved 8/10

Tactics

What works, by scenario

Strategy	Walking Dead	World War Z	Last of Us
Rural farm or ranch with independent water	Excellent	Very good if reached early	Excellent
Small agricultural town	Very good	Good	Excellent
Remote site with no food system	Good early	Very good for isolation	Poor long-term
Major highway evacuation	Good early, bad late	Terrible late	Poor after collapse
Major metro shelter	Poor	Terrible	Poor
Distributed renewable power	Very good	Good	Excellent
Hunting and fishing supplement	Very good	Good	Very good
One-road refuge	Risky	Risky	Risky

Geography

Where to be

Best overall

The Northeast Kingdom

Low density, forest, water and winter are all elite here — as good a rural refuge as the Northeast offers.

Almost no population pressure
Timber for heat and building
Reliable water and snowpack
Working farms within reach

Runner-up

Rural central Vermont

Better farm access while keeping the mountains and water behind you.

Third

Upper Connecticut River valley fringe

Agriculture and water help, with somewhat more corridor exposure to manage.

Where not to be

Avoid

Remote mountain site with no winter supply system

Isolation is not insulation. The distinction becomes very clear in February.

Avoid early

The Burlington area

Small nationally, but still Vermont's main concentration of people.

Avoid

Flood-prone narrow valley floor

Vermont floods can close roads very quickly, and nobody is coming to reopen them.

Verdict

88 out of 100 · Grade B+ · Rank #7

Vermont is excellent zombie-survival territory for small communities prepared for winter. It has fewer than 650,000 residents, mountains, forests, freshwater, farms, dairy, hunting, and limited major urban exposure. The catch is a short growing season, severe cold, difficult mountain travel, limited medical depth, and dependence on imported fuel and supplies. Its terrain and population are major advantages, but long-term success requires food storage, heating, and local self-sufficiency.

Walking Dead 95. World War Z 92. Last of Us 78.

Favour the Northeast Kingdom or rural central Vermont near farms, freshwater and wood heat — but stay close enough to a community to survive winter.

See the national survey board

Method & sources

Where the numbers come from

The Zombie Survival Index is a fictional entertainment ranking that uses real public data as its inputs. Every state is scored on the same 25 factors under three outbreak models, and the overall number blends those results. All fifty states have been assessed and normalised against the same national scoring set.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Population Estimates and QuickFacts
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2025 State Agriculture Overview
U.S. Energy Information Administration, State Electricity Profile
State water-resource and environmental agencies
State emergency-management agencies
U.S. Department of Defense and National Guard installation sources
State wildlife, hunting and fishing agencies
NOAA and state climatology and hazard sources