Where Connecticut’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022
How does living in the Constitution State affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about the state’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Connecticut’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $2,380 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 79 cities and towns across Connecticut, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Connecticut and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Connecticut’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Connecticut residents pay $2,380 in household bills a month
The average Connecticut household pays $2,380 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Connecticut residents, overall, pay high household bill expenses: the state ranks 6th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Slightly more expensive than Connecticut is Maryland, where residents pay $2,456 a month on average; slightly more affordable is New York, where residents pay $2,361.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay a whopping $2,911 per month. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where residents pay $1,452 per month.
Connecticut household expenses, on average, are 18.8% higher than the national average of $2,003.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Connecticut households spend 35% of their income on household costs, which is much lower than many states where households pay less expensive household bills on average. For example, in West Virginia, though it is the least expensive state for bills in absolute terms, residents spend 38% of household income on bills.
Annually, Connecticut residents pay $39 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Connecticut by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxo INSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Connecticut
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,380 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $39 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 6 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 35%
- Difference from the National Average: 18.8% higher
Housing costs drive Connecticut’s high expenses
The average Connecticut household pays $2,380 in the 10 most common household bills per month. The higher-than-average rent and mortgage prices drive the expenses as high as they are, with both being more than the national average. Mortgage in particular is much higher than average: the average mortgage payment in Connecticut is $1,966, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,368. This makes Connecticut’s mortgage costs 44% higher than the national average, while rent costs are 10% higher than the national average.
Alarm and security costs are also an area where Connecticut residents spend more than average. The average Connecticut household spends $122 on alarm bills compared to the national average of $84.
Health insurance, however, is an area in which Connecticut’s residents spend considerably less than the national average. The average household in the state pays $95 a month for health insurance bills, compared to the national average of $123, making the costs 23% lower than the national average.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Connecticut Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Connecticut Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Connecticut Percent +/- National Average ($2,003) |
| Mortgage | $1,966 | $1,368 | 44% higher |
| Rent | $1,244 | $1,129 | 10% higher |
| Auto Loan | $390 | $433 | 10% lower |
| Utilities | $411 | $328 | 25% higher |
| Auto Insurance | $214 | $196 | 9% higher |
| Cable & Internet | $121 | $114 | 6% higher |
| Health Insurance | $95 | $123 | 23% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $118 | $113 | 5% higher |
| Alarm & Security | $122 | $84 | 45% higher |
| Life Insurance | $98 | $82 | 19% higher |
| Total | $2,380 | $2,003 | 18.8% higher |
New Canaan is the most expensive area for Connecticut’s household bills
Residents of New Canaan pay the highest household bills in the state of Connecticut, at an average of $3,758 per month. Darien comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $3,754 on household expenses.
Interestingly, residents who live in one of the 10 most expensive areas in Connecticut generally spend a far lower percentage of their household income on bills than Connecticut residents in the 10 most affordable areas. For example, New Canaan residents spend just 23% of household income on bills, while Willimantic residents, though they live in the most affordable Connecticut area for household bills, spend a whopping 58% of average household income on bills.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxo INSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Connecticut Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 79) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | New Canaan | $3,758 | 23% |
| 2 | Darien | $3,754 | 21% |
| 3 | Wilton | $3,704 | 24% |
| 4 | Westport | $3,521 | 23% |
| 5 | Ridgefield | $3,461 | 26% |
| 6 | Greenwich | $3,335 | 32% |
| 7 | Fairfield | $3,150 | 29% |
| 8 | Stamford | $2,991 | 36% |
| 9 | Trumbull | $2,953 | 41% |
| 10 | Norwalk | $2,899 | 41% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Willimantic is the most affordable place in Connecticut for household bills
Out of 79 cities and towns, Willimantic is the most affordable place in Connecticut, with residents paying $1,744 on average for household bills.
Bristol is second most affordable on the list, with residents paying an average of $1,902 on household bills. Residents here, however, spend far less of their income share on bills than Willimantic residents do: 34%, in contrast to 58%.
Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Connecticut are Waterbury ($1,924 a month), New London ($1,938 a month), and East Hartford ($1,939 a month).
10 Most Affordable Connecticut Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (70 out of 79) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household* | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 70 | Windsor Locks | $1,966 | 35% |
| 71 | Stafford Springs | $1,958 | 31% |
| 72 | Enfield | $1,952 | 31% |
| 73 | East Hartford | $1,939 | 42% |
| 74 | New London | $1,938 | 59% |
| 75 | Jewett City | $1,933 | 33% |
| 76 | Waterbury | $1,924 | 54% |
| 77 | Norwich | $1,906 | 41% |
| 78 | Bristol | $1,902 | 34% |
| 79 | Willimantic | $1,744 | 58% |
In the wake of the rise of remote work, some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Connecticut’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxo INSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 4000 towns and cities across the country.