Phoenix, AZ vs Hartford, CT
Moving from Phoenix to Hartford? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($448,352 → $400,167 median home) and taxes.
Phoenix vs Hartford at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ, you'd need about $98,679 in Hartford, CT (−$1,321).
Livability — Phoenix, AZ: 62 · Hartford, CT: 59 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,063 sqft in Phoenix vs 2,374 sqft in Hartford ($242 vs $211 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Phoenix, AZ | Hartford, CT | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $20,904 | $23,700 | +$2,796 |
| Groceries | $4,919 | $4,930 | +$11 |
| Transportation | $3,960 | $3,720 | −$240 |
| Utilities | $1,668 | $3,480 | +$1,812 |
| Insurance | $1,800 | $1,600 | −$200 |
| Taxes | $7,280 | $15,460 | +$8,180 |
| Total | $40,531 | $52,890 | +$12,358 |
Side by side
| Metric | Phoenix, AZ | Hartford, CT |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 104.7 | 103.3 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.88% | 5.42% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 6.7% | 0.2% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 86 | 40 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.96 | $5.88 |
| Median home price | $448,352 | $400,167 |
| Home price ÷ income | 5.6× | 4.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | -1.7% | 5.2% |
| Price per square foot | $242 | $211 |
| Median rent | $1,742 | $1,975 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 9.5% | 15.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.38% | 6.35% |
| Capital gains tax | 2.50% | 6.99% |
| Property tax rate | 0.51% | 2.16% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $8,200 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $12,500 | $16,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.68% | 2.07% |
| Avg commute (min) | 27 | 24 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,800 | $1,600 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,900 | $1,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $550 | $800 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 15.5 | 32.2 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.60 | 3.40 |
| Violent crime /100k | 430 | 150 |
| Avg summer high °F | 104 | 85 |
| Avg winter low °F | 41 | 18 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |