I get asked about life in Connecticut all the time. Customers moving in want to know what they are getting into. Customers moving out want to know if the grass is actually greener. After 13 years of moving families in and out of this state, I have a pretty honest picture.
I am going to do my best to be fair here. This is not a tourism ad and it is not a complaint piece. It is what I would tell a friend who was thinking about moving to Connecticut.
The Pros
### You are between two of the best cities in America without living in either
If you take a job in New York, you do not have to live in New York. Connecticut is about 90 minutes to midtown Manhattan from Stamford, 2 hours from Hartford, and there is a train or a bus from almost anywhere in the state if you do not want to drive.
Boston is the same story. From Hartford County you are about 90 minutes to 2 hours from downtown Boston. For people who work in either city but want more space, better schools, and a quieter life, Connecticut hits a sweet spot that neighboring states cannot match.
### The schools are outstanding in the right towns
Public schools in Hartford County suburbs are some of the best in the country. Towns like West Hartford, Glastonbury, Simsbury, and Avon consistently rank among the top districts in the Northeast. Families move INTO Connecticut specifically for the schools, and that is not an exaggeration. It is probably the number one reason I see on moving day.
If you want more detail on this, I wrote a guide to the best Hartford County towns for families.
### Four real seasons
Connecticut has actual seasons. Spring is genuinely green. Summer is warm without being brutal. Fall is the best. The foliage in October is worth the cost of admission alone. Winter is cold but manageable most of the time.
For anyone coming from a place where every day feels the same, the rhythm of the seasons is one of the things people come to love most.
### Strong community in smaller towns
Smaller Connecticut towns have real community. People know their neighbors. Kids ride bikes. The town green actually hosts events. If you have lived in a place where nobody knows anybody, the shift is noticeable and worth something.
### Lower cost than the expensive neighbors
Compared to Westchester County, northern New Jersey, or eastern Massachusetts, Connecticut is more affordable. You can buy more house for your money, and the property values are more predictable. People moving in from the NYC metro area usually feel like they are upgrading.
### No sales tax on clothing
Small thing, but Connecticut does not charge sales tax on clothing under $1,000. That adds up if you have kids.
The Cons
### Property taxes are high
Let me be honest. Property taxes in Connecticut are real. Hartford County averages are in the $5,000 to $12,000 or higher range for a single-family home, depending on the town. West Hartford and Glastonbury are on the higher end. Enfield, South Windsor, and some of the outer towns are lower.
Some of that high tax goes into the great schools I mentioned. But it is a line item you need to plan for.
### Winters are real
Connecticut winters are not Vermont winters, but they are not California winters either. Expect snow from December through March, ice on the roads, shoveling driveways, and at least a few days a year where everything stops. People moving in from the South almost always underestimate this. Buy a real winter coat.
### The job market is smaller
Connecticut has great employers: Aetna, The Hartford, Travelers, Yale, ESPN, Electric Boat, and a lot of smaller specialized firms. But the overall job market is smaller and more concentrated than NYC, Boston, or Philadelphia. If your field is niche, it can take longer to find the right fit.
### Some infrastructure is aging
Parts of Connecticut have older roads, older bridges, older water and sewer systems. Some towns have been investing in updates, others have not. This is worth asking about when you are looking at a specific house or neighborhood.
### Commuting to NYC or Boston every day is exhausting
People do it. Plenty of our customers take the train to Manhattan every day. But it is a grind. A daily 2 or more hour commute adds up fast. If you are considering Connecticut as a base for a city job, think hard about hybrid or remote options before you commit.
The honest truth
Despite everything on the con list, the families we move INTO Connecticut every year outnumber the ones we move out. That says something. People who move here tend to stay.
If you are thinking about relocating, I wrote a separate relocation guide for Connecticut that covers the practical side of the move itself.
For families weighing specific Hartford County towns, Enfield, West Hartford, and Glastonbury are the three we field the most questions about, and each has a distinctly different feel.
If you are actually ready to move, we handle residential moves into and out of Connecticut every week. Happy to talk through anything, even if you are months away from pulling the trigger.
- Joe Caronna, Owner, Castle Express Moving & Storage