Overall
99.8
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Waterbury-Shelton, CT
Cost-of-living indicators for Waterbury-Shelton, CT, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 99.8
- Overall RPP
- #93
- of 387 metros
- 89.1
- Rents RPP
- $100K
- $100K national buys
Waterbury ranks #93 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has fallen 11.0 points since 2008.
- falling since 2008
- similar cost to Visalia
The verdict
Waterbury costs less than 24% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 99.8, 0.2% below the national average, with services the biggest swing at 147.6.
- bottom 76%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 97.3
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 147.6
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $100,222 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $99,778.
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Waterbury's overall RPP fell -1.2 points, from 101.0 in 2023 to 99.8 in 2024. The largest category movement was services, changing from 154.3 to 147.6. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending downward, decreasing by 11.0 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2010, when the index dropped 5.1 points from the year before.
Waterbury overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 110.8 |
| 2009 | 111.0 |
| 2010 | 105.9 |
| 2011 | 108.4 |
| 2012 | 106.9 |
| 2013 | 107.9 |
| 2014 | 105.8 |
| 2015 | 106.1 |
| 2016 | 106.5 |
| 2017 | 106.4 |
| 2018 | 102.1 |
| 2019 | 101.3 |
| 2020 | 103.4 |
| 2021 | 99.6 |
| 2022 | 102.5 |
| 2023 | 101.0 |
| 2024 | 99.8 |
Waterbury vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
100 Top 24% higher than 76% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Waterbury cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
89.1 RPP
- Services
Services
147.6 RPP
- Overall
Overall
99.8 RPP
- Goods
Goods
97.3 RPP
What this shows Waterbury's strongest departure is services at 147.6; rents follows at 89.1. Labor-priced local activity, rather than housing alone, is the first budget line to investigate.
Goods vs. housing, where Waterbury's cost comes from
Metros near Waterbury's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Waterbury (Waterbury, this metro): goods RPP 97.3, rents RPP 89.1
- Visalia: goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 84.1
- Allentown: goods RPP 100.6, rents RPP 105.5
- Albany: goods RPP 99.7, rents RPP 102.6
- Palm Bay: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 111.7
- Atlanta: goods RPP 100.4, rents RPP 111
- Jacksonville: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 109.8
Price Index Summary
Goods
97.3
Below avg
Services
147.6
Expensive
Rents
89.1
Cheap
Service-cost-led profile
How Waterbury's cost structure works
Services are the defining pressure in Waterbury: the BEA services component is 147.6, farther above the national baseline than local rents or tradable goods. That service-heavy pattern explains an overall RPP of 99.8 differently from a housing-led metro.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT, Barnstable Town, MA, Amherst Town-Northampton, MA. They resemble Waterbury across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Waterbury's overall index has fallen by 11.0 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$99,778
in Waterbury-Shelton, CT purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$49,889
$75,000 nationally
$74,834
$125,000 nationally
$124,723
$150,000 nationally
$149,667
$200,000 nationally
$199,556
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
D
37/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability D
37th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
CT-relative analysis
Goods prices places Waterbury-Shelton, CT near the bottom of CT's metros
Among the 5 CT metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Waterbury-Shelton, CT ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Waterbury-Shelton, CT only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#1 of 5
0th percentile in CT
Services prices
#2 of 5
60th percentile in CT
Rent prices
#5 of 5
0th percentile in CT
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within CT only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Waterbury-Shelton, CT: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (99.8 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (89.1 here).
Other CT Metros
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area 106.9 New Haven, CT 104.6 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 102.7 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT 100.4
View all CT metros → Cheapest in CT → Most expensive in CT →
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Waterbury's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT
Goods 97.3 · Services 148.6 · Rents 93.7 Barnstable Town, MA
Goods 97.0 · Services 158.4 · Rents 90.0 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
Goods 97.0 · Services 155.7 · Rents 97.5 Redding, CA
Goods 105.2 · Services 157.7 · Rents 89.4 Visalia, CA
Goods 105.2 · Services 156.4 · Rents 84.1 Hanford-Corcoran, CA
Goods 105.2 · Services 157.4 · Rents 93.5
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Waterbury-Shelton, CT's index of 99.8.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Shareable data card
Take this cost snapshot with you
Download the data card or share this exact metro record. The card uses the same BEA-derived values shown above.
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
Compare to Other Metros
What this means for Waterbury
How to read Waterbury's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $100,222 in Waterbury. Salary calculator
- Start with services: it indexes at 147.6, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Waterbury head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?
Waterbury-Shelton, CT has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 99.8, meaning it is 0.2% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 97.3, services at 147.6, and rents at 89.1. It ranks #93 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Waterbury-Shelton, CT to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $99,778 in Waterbury-Shelton, CT. Conversely, $100K earned in Waterbury-Shelton, CT has the purchasing power of $100,222 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?
Rents in Waterbury-Shelton, CT are indexed at 89.1, which is 10.9% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Waterbury-Shelton, CT getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Waterbury-Shelton, CT's overall cost index changed by -11.0 points (from 110.8 to 99.8). The cost of living has been declining.
What costs the most in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?
The priciest category in Waterbury-Shelton, CT is services at 147.6, 47.6% above the national average. The most affordable category is rents at 89.1, 10.9% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Waterbury-Shelton, CT?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Visalia, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Albany-Schenectady-Troy. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Waterbury-Shelton, CT's 99.8.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.