18 years on a million seems about right. The passive income is what extends it out to 18 years. If you are putting it in CD’s you are not investing it all at once and are earning maybe 30k year off of it. You are paying taxes on that money as well. VT taxes interest, social security, pensions, basically everything you earn.

In that end a wisely invested million will earn you 2k a month in income and continue to return less as the principal is drawn down on.

Regular care and feeding of a house with no mortgage is probably close to 1200 a month in heat, repairs and taxes.

1 million sounds like a lot but having it only last 18 years is completely reasonable given Vermont high cost of living.