City profile
Hartford, CT cost of living
CT · BEA RPP 102.746
2024 overall RPP
102.746
US = 100
2024 housing-rent RPP
110.234
Housing component
2024 goods RPP
97.33
Goods component
2-BR FMR (HUD)
$1,933/mo
FY2027 FMR
Where Hartford, CT sits in the verified metro set
RPP rank
#23 of 67
+2.7 vs U.S. average
Vs median metro
+3.3
median RPP 99.5
2-BR rent rank
#19 of 67
+244/mo vs median verified metro
RPP ranks use only verified ReloMath metro records. Sources: BEA MARPP 2024 (all items, housing, goods, other services); HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent; reviewed 2026-10-04. These are historical area benchmarks, not current neighborhood prices. HUD FMR is a 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmark, not median rent. BEA metro and HUD rent-area boundaries can differ. BEA: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT (Metropolitan Statistical Area) (code 25540). HUD: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA (code METRO25540M25540); counties or county equivalents: Capitol Planning Region, Andover town, Capitol Planning Region, Avon town, Capitol Planning Region, Berlin town, Capitol Planning Region, Bloomfield town, Capitol Planning Region, Bolton town, Capitol Planning Region, Canton town, Capitol Planning Region, Columbia town, Capitol Planning Region, Coventry town, Capitol Planning Region, East Granby town, Capitol Planning Region, East Hartford town, Capitol Planning Region, East Windsor town, Capitol Planning Region, Ellington town, Capitol Planning Region, Enfield town, Capitol Planning Region, Farmington town, Capitol Planning Region, Glastonbury town, Capitol Planning Region, Granby town, Capitol Planning Region, Hartford town, Capitol Planning Region, Hebron town, Capitol Planning Region, Manchester town, Capitol Planning Region, Mansfield town, Capitol Planning Region, Marlborough town, Capitol Planning Region, New Britain town, Capitol Planning Region, Newington town, Capitol Planning Region, Plainville town, Capitol Planning Region, Rocky Hill town, Capitol Planning Region, Simsbury town, Capitol Planning Region, Somers town, Capitol Planning Region, South Windsor town, Capitol Planning Region, Southington town, Capitol Planning Region, Stafford town, Capitol Planning Region, Suffield town, Capitol Planning Region, Tolland town, Capitol Planning Region, Vernon town, Capitol Planning Region, West Hartford town, Capitol Planning Region, Wethersfield town, Capitol Planning Region, Willington town, Capitol Planning Region, Windsor Locks town, Capitol Planning Region, Windsor town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Chester town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Clinton town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Cromwell town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Deep River town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Durham town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, East Haddam town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, East Hampton town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Essex town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Haddam town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Killingworth town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Lyme town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Middlefield town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Middletown town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Old Lyme town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Old Saybrook town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Portland town, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Westbrook town. The official files were retrieved 2026-10-04.
Who’s moving in and out of Hartford, CT
IRS tax-return migration · 2022-2023Cost of living is only half the relocation question. The other half is which way people are actually voting with their feet, straight from IRS tax-return migration for the Hartford, CT metro.
Moved in
24,518
people · 15,912 households
Moved out
25,624
people · 17,110 households
Net
−1,106
net loss of residents
Net migration rank
#39 of 65
among IRS-covered ReloMath metros
Vs median net flow
-1,477
median +371 people
Largest flow share
16% in / 13% out
top named county shares
Where new residents came from
- South Central Connecticut Plannin, CT 3,803
- Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 3,653
- Southeastern Connecticut Planning, CT 1,880
- Hampden County, MA 1,850
- Western Connecticut Planning Regi, CT 768
Where residents moved to
- Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 3,268
- South Central Connecticut Plannin, CT 2,819
- Southeastern Connecticut Planning, CT 2,090
- Hampden County, MA 1,284
- Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT 830
Counts are IRS tax filers (returns ≈ households, individuals ≈ exemptions) who changed address between 2022-2023. Flows too small for IRS to disclose are grouped and excluded from the named lists. Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗, mapped to metros via the U.S. Census CBSA delineation.
What salary do you need in Hartford, CT?
Historical BEA 2024 salary illustration relative to the U.S. average (RPP 100), before tax and household adjustments. Housing is already included in overall RPP.
| In US-average city | You need in Hartford, CT | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $51,373 | $50,000 x (102.746/100) |
| $75,000 | $77,060 | $75,000 x (102.746/100) |
| $100,000 | $102,746 | $100,000 x (102.746/100) |
| $125,000 | $128,433 | $125,000 x (102.746/100) |
| $150,000 | $154,119 | $150,000 x (102.746/100) |
| $200,000 | $205,492 | $200,000 x (102.746/100) |
Salary illustrations use BEA 2024 overall Regional Price Parities (RPP) only, before tax and household-specific adjustments. Overall RPP already includes housing. HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent is a separate historical gross-rent benchmark, not a current lease or median rent. Do not add rent to the RPP salary figure. Your lease and moving quote belong in a separate budget. Not financial advice.
Step 2: what will the move itself cost?
The historical salary illustration is separate from moving payments. Use an actual mover quote and lease terms in your budget summary.
State income tax note
Income tax and payroll deductions are not calculated. Obtain take-home estimates for your actual work and home addresses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Hartford, CT?
- In the historical BEA 2024 benchmark, Hartford, CT has an overall Regional Price Parity of 102.746 (US average = 100). Its overall price level is 2.7% higher than the national average for that year.
- What salary do I need to live in Hartford, CT?
- If you earn $100,000 in a US-average city (RPP 100), the BEA 2024 RPP illustration is approximately $102,746 in Hartford, CT, before tax and household adjustments.
- What historical rent benchmark is shown for Hartford, CT?
- The historical HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom associated with Hartford, CT is $1,933 per month as of FY2027.
- Are people moving to or away from Hartford, CT?
- Based on IRS tax-return migration data for 2022-2023, about 24,518 people moved into the Hartford, CT metro and 25,624 moved out — a net loss of roughly 1,106 residents. The largest single source of new residents was South Central Connecticut Plannin, CT.
Curated nearby & similar cities
Similar verified metros by RPP
These links are chosen by data proximity: closest overall RPP to Hartford, CT, with HUD 2-BR rent as a tie-breaker.
Curated cost-of-living comparisons for Hartford, CT
Side-by-side cost of living and the equivalent salary you'd need — pick a destination.
Check published data changes
Review dated source notices for tracked metros alongside Hartford, CT's historical benchmarks. Change-log entries do not automatically refresh the BEA 2024 or HUD FY2027 values shown here.
View cost-of-living change log