Ludlow is a quintessential Vermont ski town home to Okemo Mountain
Ludlow is a historic manufacturing community turned year-round outdoor destination in the Green Mountains. “Up until the turn of the century, Ludlow was a mill town. Now, many of those older buildings have been turned into cute little shops and houses,” says Alison Cummings, a local Realtor and Principal Broker/Owner of Cummings & Co. Real Estate Services. “It’s a busy little town not too far from Interstate 91, so it’s easier to access than other places.” Ludlow Village is a commercial hub that anchors the town at the base of Okemo Mountain. As a four-season resort catered to alfresco recreation, Okemo Mountain welcomes hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts each year for both winter and summer recreational activities. “During the winter, you see the bulk of tourists; in the summer, it’s a little less busy, but visitors still come for the resort, the town’s golf course and sometimes recreation at nearby lakes,” Cummings says. She also notes that while many people in Ludlow are often there on temporary vacations, the town also has a substantial full-time population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2020, Ludlow was home to nearly 2,200 permanent residents.
Seasonal sports at the Okemo Mountain resort
During the winter months, Okemo Mountain is the hub of outdoor recreation in Ludlow and offers more than a dozen slopes for skiers and snowboarders of varying skill levels. When the snow melts, the resort transitions into a destination for mountain biking and hiking. Outdoor enthusiasts can trek through the Okemo State Forest and discover scenic views of the valley at places like Ludlow Overlook. In addition to Okemo Mountain and its surrounding state forest, Ludlow has town parks and other outdoor spaces hosting community groups like the Ludlow Little League. In the village, Dorsey Park has several athletic facilities, a playground and a skate park. Golf enthusiasts can head to Fox Run Golf Club off Vermont Route 100 to play a game on an 18-hole championship course; the course is open to the public, though members are eligible for discounted green fees.
Eclectic single-family homes and vacation properties
Potential homebuyers can find single-family homes and condo units throughout Ludlow. The village has the area’s highest concentration of housing, characterized by smaller residential lots and midcentury condominiums clustered around the Okemo Mountain resort. Single-family options in town include spacious farmhouses, Craftsman-style cabins, colonial-influenced homes and even some Victorian-style properties with ornate exterior detailing, steep gabled roofs and covered porches. Home ages vary, with some dating back to the mid-19th century and others built as recently as the early 2000s. Most turnkey single-family homes range from approximately $300,000 to $800,000; however, some larger estates on bigger lots can cost upwards of $1 million. Condo units can cost between $200,000 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom to more than $900,000 for a luxury ski-in/ski-out apartment. Some condos are split into quarter-long ownership shares, with quarters costing anywhere from $50,000 to $190,000. The median sold price of all listings in Ludlow is about $480,000.
Local businesses and restaurants pack Main Street
Most of Ludlow’s shopping and dining options are located along Main Street in the village. “The side streets are mostly residential, but Main Street and the roads through the ski resort have all the businesses,” Cummings says. “Shops and restaurants are open all year. It’s definitely a 12-months-of-the-year kind of town.” At Ludlow Shopping Plaza, people can shop for groceries at Shaw’s. Since 2009, the seasonal Ludlow Farmer’s Market on Depot Street has hosted local vendors selling fresh produce and artisan goods. Village restaurants include everything from breakfast cafes and coffee shops to fine dining bistros and modern Tex-Mex eateries. Eclectic storefronts are home to bookstores, clothing boutiques, sporting gear depots, art galleries and souvenir shops like the popular Blue Sky Trading Company.
Events in Ludlow Village and at Okemo Mountain
Many of Ludlow’s local events and festivities take place at Okemo Mountain. On Friday nights throughout the summer, the mountain hosts concerts as part of the Jackson Gore Summer Music Series. In late August, the Best of Vermont Summer Festival brings together folks from across the Okemo Valley to celebrate with live entertainment, food vendors and artisan crafts booths. Ludlow’s annual Harvest Fair has been a popular October event and a town staple for over 40 years.
Attending Ludlow Elementary and Green Mountain Union High School
Ludlow is one of several Vermont towns overseen by the Two Rivers Supervisory Union, which encompasses two school districts: Ludlow Mount Holly Unified Union School District (LMHUUSD) and Green Mountain School District (GMUSD). Ludlow students in prekindergarten through sixth grade can attend Ludlow Elementary School, which receives a B-minus rating from Niche. Students in grades seven through 12 can head to the C-rated Green Mountain Union High School, which is located in the nearby town of Chester. High school students have the opportunity to enroll in Advanced Placement programs, and the high school offers the opportunity for students to participate in outdoor sports ranging from skiing and snowboarding to mountain biking and rock climbing, as well as more traditional offerings like baseball, track and field, soccer and basketball.
Access to Vermont Routes 100 and 103
Ludlow is primarily car-dependent, and public transit options are limited. State Route 103 is one of the town’s arterial roads; the section of the route that runs through the village is called Main Street. The other arterial road in this area is Vermont Route 100, a scenic highway that connects several prominent ski resorts across the state. Interstate 91 access is a 30-minute drive east of Ludlow near the New Hampshire state line. Limited public transportation options include bus services through MOOver, a southern Vermont transit agency that operates scheduled routes with stops along Main Street in the village and at the base of Okemo Mountain. The nearest commercial airport is Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, located in the neighboring state of New Hampshire, just over 90 miles from Ludlow. The closest Amtrak train station is approximately 25 miles away in the city of Rutland.
Recovery from the July 2023 floods
Ludlow was severely impacted by the July 2023 floods that swept across the northeastern United States. After a rare heavy rainfall event, several feet of floodwaters submerged parts of town and caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage. Ludlow is more susceptible to flooding than other parts of Vermont because of its location in a low-lying valley and its proximity to the Connecticut River watershed. "Flooding isn’t common in Vermont at all, but when the 2023 floods did happen, Ludlow was hit pretty bad,” Cummings says. “A few of the town’s historic buildings were so damaged they couldn’t be rebuilt, but for the most part, things have returned to normal.”
