Moving to Connecticut from Pennsylvania

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Pennsylvania to Connecticut — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Pennsylvania to Connecticut, you would find that Connecticut is 14.1% more expensive than Pennsylvania. A $75,000 salary in Pennsylvania would need to be roughly $91,836 in Connecticut to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Pennsylvania to Connecticut.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $91,836

To maintain the same standard of living in Connecticut

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 17.8% more

Groceries

pay 10.6% more

Transportation

pay 1.0% less

Housing

pay 32.2% more

Childcare

pay 5.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 27.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Pennsylvania to Connecticut.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

PA
264
CT
147
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

PA
1567
CT
1528

Connecticut performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

PA
5.5%
CT
5.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

PA
34.4%
CT
31.3%

Connecticut performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

PA
$240,500
CT
$343,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

PA
$1,162
CT
$1,431

Pennsylvania performs better than Connecticut across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

PA
88.8%
CT
91.3%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

PA
27 min
CT
27 min

Pennsylvania generally does better on infrastructure, though Connecticut leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

PA
3.7%
CT
4.1%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

PA
$61,506
CT
$77,582

Connecticut generally does better on employment & economy, though Pennsylvania leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

PA
76.8 yrs
CT
78.4 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

PA
24%
CT
29%

Connecticut performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Harrisburg Rain: 43.6 in/yr (1108 mm)
61° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Bridgeport Rain: 47.7 in/yr (1212 mm)
61° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Harrisburg Bridgeport
Jan–Mar 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) 42°/23°F (6°/-5°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) 68°/49°F (20°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) 80°/62°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) 53°/34°F (12°/1°C)
View all months
Month Harrisburg Bridgeport
Jan 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) 38°/20°F (3.1°/-6.9°C)
Feb 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) 41°/21°F (4.9°/-6.0°C)
Mar 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) 47°/29°F (8.6°/-1.7°C)
Apr 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) 59°/40°F (15.1°/4.2°C)
May 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C)
Jun 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) 78°/59°F (25.7°/15.1°C)
Jul 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) 83°/65°F (28.1°/18.3°C)
Aug 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) 82°/64°F (27.6°/17.7°C)
Sep 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) 75°/56°F (23.7°/13.1°C)
Oct 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.5°C)
Nov 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) 54°/34°F (12.1°/1.3°C)
Dec 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) 43°/24°F (6.1°/-4.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Connecticut than Pennsylvania?

No — Connecticut is on average about 22% more expensive than Pennsylvania. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Connecticut?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $22,959 in Connecticut on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Connecticut safe?

Connecticut performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Connecticut compared to Pennsylvania?

Connecticut performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Connecticut compared to Pennsylvania?

The average high temperature in Bridgeport is 61°F, compared to 61°F in Harrisburg. Bridgeport receives around 47.7 in of rainfall per year, while Harrisburg gets 43.6 in.

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