State relocation profile · Federal data
Connecticut
Connecticut sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 103.6
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,954
- 2BR rent / mo
- $78,018
- Median salary
- 40
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Connecticut ranks #46 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (40/100, F), with its strongest marks in safety and wages.
- #46 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 40
- Life Score · F
- 103.6
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $78,018
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: childcare (7/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Connecticut ranks #46 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 103.6 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,954/mo, median salary $78,018; Life Score 40/100 (F), strongest in safety and wages.
Signature: Life Score 40/100 places Connecticut #46 of 51 (bottom third of scored states).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 103.6 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,954/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $78,018.
Composite Life Score 40/100 (F) puts Connecticut in the bottom third (#46 of 51).
Metro book is mid-sized (5 MSAs); state averages still hide corridor-level rent and wage gaps.
Life Score plate
Sheet CT · Connecticut 40/100 · F · #46 of 51
LIFE-F · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-SAFETY · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-F Life Score F
- RANK-BOTTOM #46/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.1 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 103.6
- LEAD-SAFETY Lead · safety
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Montana (+ 0.1 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Connecticut
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Connecticut on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Connecticut childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Connecticut (infant $17,127/yr leads the book).
Connecticut Life Score breakdown
Connecticut composites to 40/100 (F) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #46 of 51.
Connecticut - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Safety
Safety
88 /100
- Wages
Wages
86 /100
- Environment 24
Environment
24 /100
- Cost of living 18
Cost of living
18 /100
- Schools 14
Schools
14 /100
- Rent 10
Rent
10 /100
- Childcare 7
Childcare
7 /100
What this shows Connecticut's strongest dimensions are safety and wages; its weakest among scored dims is childcare at 7/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Connecticut on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Connecticut on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Connecticut
Explore detailed relocation data for 5 metropolitan areas in Connecticut. Connecticut contains 5 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, New Haven and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Connecticut cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Connecticut wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.