Cost of living in Meriden research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Meriden is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Connecticut, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Meriden is 104, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Meriden is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Meriden ranks as the #8 cheapest in Connecticut out of 56.
Meriden ranks as the #3,063 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Meriden is $314,851.
The median income in Meriden is $68,617.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Meriden has an overall cost of living index of 104, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Connecticut, Meriden has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Connecticut's index of 119.
The standard of living in Meriden ranks as #8 most affordable out of the 56 places we measured in Connecticut. By definition, that implies Meriden ranks as the #48 most expensive place in the Constitution State.
For more reading on life in Meriden, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Meriden. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Meriden is 109.
The Groceries index in Meriden is 101.
The Health index in Meriden is 105.
The Housing index in Meriden is 99.
The Transportation index in Meriden is 97.
The Utilities index in Meriden is 125.
| Living Expense | Meriden | Connecticut | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 104 | 119 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 109 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 100 | 100 | |
| Health | 105 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 99 | 137 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 97 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 125 | 131 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Connecticut, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Meriden is $314,851.
The Median Rent in Meriden is $1,243.
The Median Income in Meriden is $68,617.
The Home Value To Income in Meriden is 4.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Meriden is 0.22x.
| Statistic | Meriden | Connecticut | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $314,851 | $430,086 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,243 | $1,431 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $68,617 | $93,760 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.6x | 4.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Meriden | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.42 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.85 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $18.33 | $18 |
| Haircut | $33.78 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $58.55 | $45.56 |
| Item | Meriden | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.23 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.46 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.73 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.96 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.79 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.49 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.65 | $3.7 |
| Item | Meriden | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $166.22 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $182.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $127.0 | $113.29 |
| Item | Meriden | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.34 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $71.63 | $59.92 |
| Item | Meriden | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $302.09 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $185.16 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Meriden. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
New Britain, CT has a cost of living index of 104, 1.0x Meriden.
West Hartford, CT has a cost of living index of 124, 1.2x Meriden.
Bristol, CT has a cost of living index of 106, 1.0x Meriden.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Meriden |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Britain, CT | 73,301 | 104 | 1.0x |
| West Hartford, CT | 63,809 | 124 | 1.2x |
| Bristol, CT | 61,129 | 106 | 1.0x |
| Middletown, CT | 47,646 | 110 | 1.1x |
| Newington, CT | 30,551 | 114 | 1.1x |
| Wethersfield, CT | 27,180 | 113 | 1.1x |
| North Haven, CT | 24,177 | 124 | 1.2x |
| Wallingford Center, CT | 18,107 | 114 | 1.1x |
| Kensington, CT | 9,936 | 119 | 1.1x |
| Oakville, CT | 9,233 | 113 | 1.1x |