State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Cost of Living in Connecticut
Statewide Regional Price Parities for Connecticut from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 5 metro areas.
- 103.6
- Statewide RPP
- #10
- of 51 states by cost
- 117.0
- Rents RPP
- 5
- Metro areas
Connecticut ranks #10 of 51 states by cost, and its statewide price index has fallen 6.8 points since 2008.
- falling since 2008
- fell -0.6 points in the 2023-2024 release
- similar cost to Florida
The verdict
Connecticut is more expensive than 80% of U.S. states, a statewide cost index of 103.6, 3.6% above the national average.
- Services
- furthest category from 100, at 146.5
- Florida
- closest statewide cost peer, 0.2 points away
- Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury
- highest-cost metro, 106.9
- Waterbury-Shelton
- lowest-cost metro, 99.8
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $96,516 when earned in Connecticut.
Connecticut vs every U.S. state
Where this state sits in the national cost distribution
104 Top 20% higher than 80% of 51 US states
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. 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
Connecticut RPP history, 2008–2024
The statewide index has fallen 6.8 points from 2008 to 2024. The line shows every retained BEA release against the national benchmark of 100; the table preserves the component detail.
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 110.5 |
| 2009 | 110.7 |
| 2010 | 107.0 |
| 2011 | 107.8 |
| 2012 | 107.6 |
| 2013 | 107.7 |
| 2014 | 107.0 |
| 2015 | 107.5 |
| 2016 | 107.5 |
| 2017 | 107.2 |
| 2018 | 104.0 |
| 2019 | 103.9 |
| 2020 | 105.1 |
| 2021 | 102.9 |
| 2022 | 106.4 |
| 2023 | 104.2 |
| 2024 | 103.6 |
Reading the Connecticut Cost of Living Picture
Connecticut clusters near the national line with Florida, Oregon, New Hampshire as its closest statewide peers. In that near-par lane, the component mix matters more than the small headline distance from 100. Services and Goods are 49.2 points apart, so the statewide average joins two materially different household experiences.
Connecticut captures 5 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area leads on cost at 106.9, while Waterbury-Shelton, CT sits at the opposite end at 99.8 - a gap of 7.1 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 97.3, for services 146.5, and for rents 117.0. Rents sit within 13.4 points of the statewide index, so no single category is distorting the headline — unusual, and it makes the state number more transferable between households than most.
Over time, Connecticut's statewide index has eased by 6.8 points, narrowing the premium versus lower-cost states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $96,516 of national buying power when earned inside Connecticut, and a household relocating here would need roughly $103,610 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. With 5 reporting metros inside the state, treat this figure as the midpoint of a range rather than a quote for any one address.
Metro areas in Connecticut, ranked by cost
| # | Metro area | Overall | Goods | Services | Rents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | 106.9 | 97.3 | 147.1 | 150.5 |
| 2 | New Haven | 104.6 | 97.3 | 144.8 | 124.3 |
| 3 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | 102.7 | 97.3 | 144.9 | 110.2 |
| 4 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic | 100.4 | 97.3 | 148.6 | 93.7 |
| 5 | Waterbury-Shelton | 99.8 | 97.3 | 147.6 | 89.1 |
The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Connecticut's overall RPP fell -0.6 points, from 104.2 in 2023 to 103.6 in 2024. The largest category move was services, changing from 153.2 to 146.5. RPP is a relative price index, so this reports a change against the national benchmark rather than a household's dollar bill.
What this means in Connecticut
The statewide index is a starting point, cost varies metro to metro within Connecticut.
- Don't rely on the state figure alone: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury (106.9) and Waterbury-Shelton (99.8) sit 7 index points apart inside Connecticut. Check your specific metro.
- Rents index at 117.0 (17.0% above average) - the largest swing in the RPP. Review the housing line before any relocation decision. Highest rents
- Weighing Connecticut against another state? Convert your salary to local purchasing power first. Salary calculator
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark (national average = 100) for the data year shown, pair it with local wages and current rents before deciding.
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Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive rankings, cost of living vs wages, and how BEA constructs RPP data.
States with Similar Cost of Living
These states have RPP indices closest to Connecticut, making them useful peers for relocation or budget comparison.
Nationwide states with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Connecticut: nearest states by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are labelled nationwide neighborhoods, distinct from the closest-RPP list above.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest states by overall regional price parity (103.6 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest states by rents regional price parity (117.0 here).
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Connecticut sit versus the national cost-of-living line?
Connecticut has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 103.6, meaning it is 3.6% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 97.3, services at 146.5, and rents at 117.0.
What salary in Connecticut equals $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $103,610 in Connecticut. Conversely, $100K earned in Connecticut has the purchasing power of $96,516 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in Connecticut?
Rents in Connecticut are indexed at 117.0, which is 17.0% above the national average. Housing costs are significantly higher than typical U.S. levels.
Which is the most expensive metro in Connecticut?
The most expensive metro area in Connecticut is Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area with an RPP of 106.9. The most affordable is Waterbury-Shelton, CT at 99.8. There are 5 metro areas in Connecticut with BEA price data.
Has Connecticut gotten more affordable over time?
From 2008 to 2024, Connecticut's overall cost index changed by -6.8 points (from 110.5 to 103.6). The cost of living has been declining.
Which categories pull Connecticut away from the national average?
The most expensive category in Connecticut is services at 146.5, which is 46.5% above the national average. The most affordable category is goods at 97.3, 2.7% below average.
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 2024. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.