Living in Hartford, CT
Mid-size city in Connecticut
Hartford is a mid-size city in Connecticut, home to about 120,000 people, with 1.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Hartford a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Easy flying: BDL is 12 mi away
- Mild summers: highs around 82°F
- Strong healthcare: 3 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Low natural disaster risk: 7 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $3,118 state income tax per resident, 2.1% property tax
- Fewer graduates: 18% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Few dog parks: 11 within 9 mi
- Cloudier than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Hartford ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Hartford: common questions
What is the cost of living in Hartford?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $272k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,240 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 103, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Hartford?
Connecticut collects about $3,118 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.1% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Hartford safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.3× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Hartford?
Hartford has cold winters: winter days average around 39°F and summer days around 82°F, with roughly 52″ of snow a year.
Does Hartford get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.24 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Hartford?
The nearest major airport is BDL, about 12 mi away.
How Hartford scores
Each bar compares Hartford with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Hartford right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.