?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Bristol, CT vs West Haven, CT

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Bristol needs about $87,500 in West Haven to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from West Haven, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $82,500 in Bristol.

A few differences

Bristol vs West Haven · facet by facet
FacetBristol, CTWest Haven, CT
Median home price$277,800$291,700
2-bedroom rent$1,421/mo$1,513/mo
Property tax rate1.8%1.8%
State & local income tax3.91%3.91%
Sales tax6.35%6.35%
Cost of living index99101
Groceries index106106
Utilities$245/mo$245/mo
Median household income$79,076$74,382
Unemployment rate4%4%
Crime index27/10027/100
School rating7.8/107.8/10
Sunny days / year180 days180 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Bristol, CT · West Haven, CT
Questions & answers
Is Bristol cheaper than West Haven?
Bristol has the lower day-to-day cost index (99 vs 101 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in West Haven equals $85,000 in Bristol?
A household earning $85,000 in Bristol needs about $87,500 in West Haven to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of West Haven lifestyle costs about $82,500 in Bristol.