Cost of Living in Connecticut
What it costs to live in Connecticut, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 3,675,069
- Median household income
- $96,049
- State income tax
- Up to 7%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 103.6
What a typical paycheck keeps in Connecticut
The typical Connecticut worker earns $59,690 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $8,031 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $59,690
- Federal income tax
- −$4,983
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,865
- State income tax
- −$2,533
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$20,040
- Everyday costs
- −$19,238
a year, or $669 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Connecticut.
Cost of living in Connecticut
Prices across Connecticut run 4% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing17% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% below the US average
- Utilities46% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)3% above the US average
- All items4% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,670 | $20,040 |
| Food | $480 | $5,760 |
| Transportation | $380 | $4,560 |
| Healthcare | $361 | $4,332 |
| Utilities | $382 | $4,584 |
| Total before taxes | $3,273 | $39,276 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Connecticut taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 2% |
| $10,000 | 4.5% |
| $50,000 | 5.5% |
| $100,000 | 6% |
| $200,000 | 6.5% |
| $250,000 | 6.9% |
| $500,000 | 7% |
Payroll programs withheld from wages
- CT Paid Leave0.5% up to $184,500
Not modelled: phase-out of the 2% bracket above $56,500 AGI, the benefit recapture above $105,000, and the personal tax credit (1–75%) for AGI up to $64,500. Results for Connecticut are approximate.
Taxes on the median household income
$96,049 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$12,301 |
| Payroll taxes | −$7,828 |
| State income tax | −$4,533 |
| Effective tax rate | 25.7% |
Cities in Connecticut
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Connecticut city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Connecticut
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $163,600 | $74,425 |
| Dentist | $160,440 | $72,470 |
| Pharmacist | $141,290 | $60,626 |
| Physician assistant | $139,860 | $59,741 |
| Nurse practitioner | $138,470 | $58,882 |
| Software engineer | $134,120 | $56,191 |
| Lineman | $126,850 | $51,695 |
| Data scientist | $126,340 | $51,379 |
| Veterinarian | $126,190 | $51,287 |
| Project manager | $105,240 | $37,998 |
| Mechanical engineer | $105,090 | $37,902 |
| Physical therapist | $104,360 | $37,436 |
| Civil engineer | $103,150 | $36,663 |
| Registered nurse | $102,740 | $36,402 |
| Occupational therapist | $102,440 | $36,210 |
Salary pages in Connecticut, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Connecticut
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $295,120 |
| Pediatricians, General | $216,830 |
| Physicians, All Other | $214,990 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $210,670 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $175,490 |
| Financial Managers | $174,830 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $171,750 |
| Marketing Managers | $169,240 |
| Actuaries | $166,800 |
| Human Resources Managers | $165,930 |
| Lawyers | $163,600 |
| Managers, All Other | $162,690 |
| Sales Managers | $162,110 |
| Dentists, General | $160,440 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $156,240 |
Living in Connecticut
Connecticut against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Connecticut | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $396,900 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,550 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 5% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 10.2% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 42.6% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 27 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 13.4% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Connecticut with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Connecticut?
Prices in Connecticut are 4% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,670 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,603 a month.
Does Connecticut have a state income tax?
Yes. Connecticut's income tax rate is up to 7%. On a typical wage of $59,690, a single filer pays about $2,533 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Connecticut?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $49,000 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Connecticut earns $59,690 and keeps $8,031 after those costs.
Where in Connecticut does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Connecticut cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Hartford ($11,184 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Bridgeport ($6,685).
What jobs pay the most in Connecticut?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Connecticut goes to Chief Executives ($295,120); Pediatricians, General ($216,830); Physicians, All Other ($214,990) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate