Rank #8 · CT
Connecticut
Connecticut's Fairfield County corridor — Greenwich, Stamford, Westport — anchors statewide costs. Property taxes and energy prices are well above the national norm even outside the wealthy southwestern belt.
Cost index
116.5
Housing index
134.3
Median home
$410K
1BR rent
$1,750
Median income
$90K
Top income tax
6.99%
Sales tax
6.35%
Avg. gas
$3.41
Cost breakdown by category
All values indexed to 100 = US average.
Housing134.3
Groceries105.4
Utilities122.2
Transportation111.7
Healthcare95.1
Why Connecticut is expensive
- 01Fairfield County's NYC-commuter premium on housing.
- 02Highest residential electricity rates in the continental US (Eversource/UI).
- 03Effective property-tax rate of ~1.79% — fifth-highest nationally.
- 04Estate tax kicks in above $13.6M but signals the high-net-worth focus.
Metro snapshots
Greenwich
Median home ~$2.1M; Metro-North to Manhattan in ~45 min.
Hartford
Median home ~$255K; insurance-industry employment hub.
New Haven
Yale economy; median home ~$310K.
More affordable alternatives in Connecticut
HartfordNew BritainWaterburyBristol
Pro tips
Surviving Connecticut on a budget
- →Hartford and Tolland counties offer 30–50% lower housing than Fairfield.
- →Time-of-use electric plans cut shoulder-season bills materially.
- →Property-tax credit (CT-IT 1040) is worth claiming on primary-residence taxes.