Cost of living in New Haven 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 New Haven 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 New Haven is 110, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in New Haven is 1.1x higher than the national average.
New Haven ranks as the #22 cheapest in Connecticut out of 56.
New Haven ranks as the #3,657 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in New Haven is $320,181.
The median income in New Haven is $53,771.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, New Haven has an overall cost of living index of 110, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Connecticut, New Haven has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Connecticut's index of 119.
The standard of living in New Haven ranks as #22 most affordable out of the 56 places we measured in Connecticut. By definition, that implies New Haven ranks as the #34 most expensive place in the Constitution State.
For more reading on life in New Haven, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in New Haven. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in New Haven is 107.
The Groceries index in New Haven is 97.
The Health index in New Haven is 111.
The Housing index in New Haven is 118.
The Transportation index in New Haven is 104.
The Utilities index in New Haven is 133.
| Living Expense | New Haven | Connecticut | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 110 | 119 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 109 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 100 | 100 | |
| Health | 111 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 118 | 137 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 104 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 133 | 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 New Haven is $320,181.
The Median Rent in New Haven is $1,442.
The Median Income in New Haven is $53,771.
The Home Value To Income in New Haven is 6.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in New Haven is 0.32x.
| Statistic | New Haven | Connecticut | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $320,181 | $430,086 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,442 | $1,431 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $53,771 | $93,760 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.0x | 4.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.32x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | New Haven | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.47 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $15.07 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $39.78 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $69.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | New Haven | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.28 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.59 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.83 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.03 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.21 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.53 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.86 | $3.7 |
| Item | New Haven | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $134.7 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $162.26 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $136.03 | $113.29 |
| Item | New Haven | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.47 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $63.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | New Haven | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $296.64 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $185.16 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around New Haven. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
West Haven, CT has a cost of living index of 112, 1.0x New Haven.
Shelton, CT has a cost of living index of 131, 1.2x New Haven.
East Haven, CT has a cost of living index of 115, 1.0x New Haven.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Haven, CT | 55,147 | 112 | 1.0x |
| Shelton, CT | 41,402 | 131 | 1.2x |
| East Haven, CT | 27,729 | 115 | 1.0x |
| North Haven, CT | 24,177 | 124 | 1.1x |
| Ansonia, CT | 18,951 | 110 | 1.0x |
| Wallingford Center, CT | 18,107 | 114 | 1.0x |
| Orange, CT | 14,251 | 136 | 1.2x |
| Derby, CT | 12,359 | 112 | 1.0x |
| Branford Center, CT | 6,130 | 118 | 1.1x |