State comparison
Connecticut vs New York: which state is better to live in?
Connecticut costs a median household about $510 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because its income tax takes 4.5% of a median income against 5.2% in New York.
Connecticut
High tax burden · COL index 114
Wins 11 categories
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 4 categories
Taxes: Connecticut vs New York
Connecticut has a graduated income tax topping out at 6.99%, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,352 a year. New York has a graduated income tax topping out at 10.9%, which works out to 5.2% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,862 a year. Connecticut wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.79% of home value a year in Connecticut and 1.40% in New York (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $7,071 against $6,580, so New York has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.35% in Connecticut and 8.52% in New York; Connecticut is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $11,843 a year in Connecticut, $12,349 in New York. Connecticut is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Connecticut's cost of living index is 114 and New York's is 139, where 100 is the national average; Connecticut is about 22% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $395K in Connecticut and $470K in New York (Zillow, 2024), a $75K gap in Connecticut's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,800 a month in Connecticut and $2,200 in New York.
Home insurance averages $1,600 a year in Connecticut and $1,800 in New York, so Connecticut is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 203 incidents per 100,000 residents in Connecticut and 379 in New York (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Connecticut is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 87% lower. Property crime is 1,380 per 100,000 in Connecticut against 1,480 in New York, again favoring Connecticut.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.8 years in Connecticut and 79.3 in New York (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.5-year edge for Connecticut. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Connecticut's health system 3rd of 50 and New York's 15th, so Connecticut scores better on care.
5.9% of Connecticut residents have no health insurance against 5.4% in New York, which favors New York. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Connecticut's K-12 schools 3rd in the country and New York's 12th, 9 places apart in Connecticut's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Connecticut went to Harris by 12 points and New York went to Harris by 12 points.
Connecticut has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; New York has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $15.69 an hour in Connecticut and $16.00 in New York.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Connecticut (hurricane, flood, blizzard) and moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter). Annual average air quality index is 32 in Connecticut and 38 in New York (under 50 is good), favoring Connecticut.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
11
Connecticut
4
New York
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Connecticut or New York better to live in?
Connecticut wins more of the measures that decide a move. Connecticut on taxes ($11,843 a year for a median household against $12,349); Connecticut on everyday costs (index 114 against 139); Connecticut on safety (203 violent crimes per 100,000 against 379); Connecticut on schools (ranked 3rd against 12th).
Which is cheaper, Connecticut or New York?
Connecticut is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 114 against 139. The median home is $395K in Connecticut and $470K in New York (2024). On state and local taxes Connecticut saves a median household about $510 a year.
Does Connecticut or New York have lower taxes?
Connecticut. A household earning $74,580 pays about $11,843 a year in Connecticut ($3,352 income tax, $7,071 property tax on the median home and $1,421 in sales tax) and $12,349 in New York ($3,862 income tax, $6,580 property tax on the median home and $1,906 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Connecticut or New York?
Connecticut, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 203 per 100,000 residents in Connecticut and 379 in New York; property crime is 1,380 against 1,480.
Which has better schools, Connecticut or New York?
Connecticut. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Connecticut 3rd of 50 for K-12 and New York 12th.
Is Connecticut or New York better for retirees?
New York is friendlier to retirees on paper. Connecticut taxes Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax; New York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $7,071 a year in Connecticut and $6,580 in New York.