Are You Moving To Connecticut?
Are you wondering what it’s like to live in the great state of Connecticut? What are the pros and cons? You’re probably wondering how the commute time is to and from work. What are the areas like? How are the schools? Where will you go shopping? What is there to do here in Connecticut?
Connecticut is a U.S. state in southern New England that has a mix of coastal cities and rural areas dotted with small towns. Mystic is famed for its Seaport museum filled with centuries-old ships, and the beluga whale exhibits at Mystic Aquarium. On Long Island Sound, the city of New Haven is known as the home of Yale University and its acclaimed Peabody Museum of Natural History.
Connecticut is rich with history, nature, art and beauty. Truly something for everyone. While many people are drawn each year to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos, there is much more in this state. There are a number of beaches at the shore, state parks and forests throughout the state, and many smaller parks as well. Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam is an excellent family destination. So is the Essex Steam Train and River Boat Ride in Essex.
Connecticut is a small New England state, full of charm, rural beauty, and several major cities. The State’s top tourist attractions include Yale University, which maintains numerous world-class museums, Mystic Seaport, the restaurant, and nightlife scene in downtown New Haven.
If you’re moving to Connecticut, there are a lot of things you’re going to need to know. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.
Moving to Connecticut
Pros and Cons of Living in Connecticut
Here are a few pros and cons to consider as you make your move to the Constitution State:
Pros.
- Location New York is just 90 miles away and Boston is 100 miles. So whether you’re a Red Sox fan or a Yankees fan, Connecticut has you covered.
- Connecticut is made up of mostly smaller towns. In fact, only five cities have populations over 100,000. Those are New Haven, Bridgeport, Stanford, Hartford, and Waterbury.
- Connecticut Is the Ideal Mix of Urban and Rural While the state is home to exciting vibrant cities, it’s also got plenty of countrysides, allowing residents to enjoy an ideal mix of both.
- Beautiful Beaches and an Abundance of Mouthwatering Food Located along the Atlantic, which also means plenty of fresh seafood, including lobster.
- It’s one of the Most Scenic Places to be In Every Season The autumn foliage in Connecticut is some of the most scenics you’ll ever experience, with tranquil country lanes edges by brilliant golds, vibrant oranges, and fiery reds.
Cons.
- One of the cons of living in Connecticut. We have the second-highest tax rate in all of the United States.
- The high cost of living. Connecticut housing is expensive, the cost of living is above average, and property taxes are high. You should seriously consider your finances and budget before moving to Connecticut.
- Cold winters, humid summers. Connecticut weather swings between the extremes with chillingly cold winters and hot and humid summers. Consider whether you can cope with the cold, snowy winters and the few weeks in summer that can be stifling.
- Slow traffic. The traffic in Connecticut is notoriously bad, so if you don’t have the patience to be stuck in a jam for long hours, then Connecticut might not be the place for you.
Tax Rates
- Property Tax: 2.07%. The effective real-estate tax rate is #4 highest.
- Sales Tax: Connecticut’s base state sales tax rate is currently 6.35%.
- Income Tax: 3–6.99%. The state has a progressive income tax code.
Housing Market
The typical home value of homes in Connecticut is $311,309 according to Zillow. This value is seasonally adjusted and only includes the middle price tier of homes. Connecticut home values have gone up 18.0% over the past year.
What Should I Know In 2021?
Economy Outlook
Connecticut’s economy shrunk by 4.6% in the first quarter of 2021 but fared better than other states in the region, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The state’s decrease mirrors a national trend, as each state and Washington, D.C., saw economies shrink, largely in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Connecticut was the 18th-best state in terms of its decrease and fared better than any other state in the Northeast. New York was the worst in both the region and the country at -8.2%, with Maine (-6.3), Rhode Island (-6.2), Vermont (-6.1), New Hampshire (-5.7), and Massachusetts (-5.1) each posting figures worse than Connecticut.
You should move to Connecticut because a study conducted by the government that measures income, education, and health has shown that the state is well above the U.S. average. If you want to improve your quality of life, it is the right time to move to Connecticut.
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Traffic & Transportation
You definitely won’t be cut off after moving to Connecticut because of the well-established highway system. However, the state has quite a well-known traffic congestion issue in certain areas, particularly on I-84 and I-95, which run from New Haven to New York. WalletHub ranked Connecticut as 38 on its best states to drive in the list—not the worst, but pretty darn close!
Public transportation is good, though, with a decent rail system compared to many U.S. locations, meaning you don’t need a car to travel around. Amtrak is great for inner-city journeys, and reaching airports like JFK and LaGuardia is easy using Metro-North. A variety of local and express route bus services run by CTtransit are also available.
The famous ferries are definitely something you should experience after moving to Connecticut. Hop on the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry, which will take you on a picturesque journey to Long Island—it carries cars as well as passengers.
Cost of living
Your housing expenses will depend on your location within the city. However, some expenses are consistent with the rest of the country, like some groceries and certain utility expenses, like cell phone service.
The cost of living index by state in the U.S. Connecticut placed at the number 9 spot with a cost of living index of 127.7. According to this data, Connecticut places 27.7% above the national average overall, with housing 44.7% above average, utilities 28% above average, groceries 14.2% above average and transportation 11.8% above average.
- Family of four estimated monthly costs are 3,757.91$ without rent.
- A single person estimated monthly costs are 1,025.27$ without rent.
- Rent in Hartford is, on average, 60.79% lower than in New York.
- Hartford is 18.46% less expensive than New York.
While the cost of living is high in Connecticut, the quality of life matches it, with income, health, and education ranking well above average.
Moving to Connecticut
Things to Know When Moving to Connecticut
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