?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Hartford, CT vs Manchester, 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 Hartford needs about $86,500 in Manchester to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Manchester, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Hartford.

A few differences

Hartford vs Manchester · facet by facet
FacetHartford, CTManchester, CT
Median home price$228,600$223,400
2-bedroom rent$1,344/mo$1,447/mo
Property tax rate1.8%1.8%
State & local income tax3.91%3.91%
Sales tax6.35%6.35%
Cost of living index9697
Groceries index106106
Utilities$245/mo$245/mo
Median household income$46,411$74,267
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: Hartford, CT · Manchester, CT
Questions & answers
Is Hartford cheaper than Manchester?
Hartford has the lower day-to-day cost index (96 vs 97 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Manchester equals $85,000 in Hartford?
A household earning $85,000 in Hartford needs about $86,500 in Manchester to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Manchester lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Hartford.