Here's How Much You Need To Earn To Live In Connecticut

Fairfield County is the priciest place to live in Connecticut according to the Economic Policy Institute. The organization recently released its 2018 family budget calculator that estimates how costly it is to live in each of America’s 3,142 counties and 611 metro areas.

The group estimates a family of two adults and two children in Fairfield County would need to earn a combined $109,497 per year — or $9,125 a month — to live comfortably.

Here’s how the group breaks down that number:

• Housing: $1,627 per month
• Food: $883 per month
• Child Care: $1,579 per month
• Transportation: $1,231 per month
• Other Necessities: $1,013 per month
• Taxes: $1,575 per month

Compared to the Stamford metro area, that might seem like a bargain.

To live in the Stamford/Norwalk metro area ], that same family would need to earn a combined $118.551 per year, or $9,879 every month, to “attain a modest yet adequate standard of living,” the organization said.

Here is the cost breakdown for the rest of Connecticut’s counties.

New Haven County
A family of two adults and two children would need $92,532 annually or $7,711 per month for comfortable living.

The monthly expense breakdown:

• Housing: $1,244
• Food: $787
• Child Care: $1,372
• Transportation: $1,207
• Health Care: $1,125
• Other Neccessities: $819
• Taxes: $1,157

Hartford County

The same four-person family would need $87,464 annually or $7,289 per month for comfortable living in Hartford County.

The monthly expense breakdown:

• Housing: $1,142
• Food: $789
• Child Care: $1,305
• Transportation: $1,188
• Health Care: $1,024
• Other Necessities: $779
• Taxes: $1,062

New London County
A four-person family needs $94,312 annually or $7,859 per month for comfortable living in New London County.
Breakdown:

• Housing: $1,199
• Food: $883
• Child Care: $1,365
• Transportation: $1,280
• Health Care: $1,096
• Other Necessities: $840
• Taxes: $1,198

Middlesex County
A family of four needs $97,898 annually or $8,156 per month to live comfortably in Middlesex County.
Breakdown:

• Housing: $1,278
• Food: $903
• Child Care: $1,403
• Transportation: $1,313
• Health Care: $1,097
• Other Necessities: $880
• Taxes: $1,282

Litchfield County
A family of four needs $87,755 annually or $7,313 for comfortable living.
Breakdown:

• Housing: $1,092
• Food: $845
• Child Care: $1,143
• Transportation: $1,311
• Health Care: $1,073
• Other Necessities: $781
• Taxes: $1,068

Tolland County
A family of four needs $93,537 annually or $7,795 per month to live comfortably.
Breakdown:

• Housing: $1,197
• Food: $860
• Child Care: $1,333
• Transportation: $1,300
• Health Care: $1,096
• Other Necessities: $830
• Taxes: $1,180

Windham County
A four-person family needs $86,747 or $7,229 per month to live comfortably.
Breakdown:

• Housing: $1,049
• Food: $754
• Child Care: $1,254
• Transportation: $1,301
• Health Care: $1,096
• Other Necessities: $727
• Taxes: $1,049

The family budget calculator accounts for geographic differences in cost of living, but does not include many expenses associated with a middle-class lifestyle, including student loan payments or saving for college or retirement.

“Our Family Budget Calculator goes beyond traditional measures like the poverty line to paint a detailed picture of what families need to get by,” EPI Senior Economist Elise Gould said in a release. “The latest update provides even greater detail on how costs vary throughout the country. It is above all else a tool for policymakers to advocate for ways to raise wages and make their communities more affordable.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, San Francisco ranked first in the nation as the most expensive metro area with a basic budget of $148,439 a year for a two-parent, two-child household. On the flipside, that same household would only need to earn $58,906 to live comfortably in Brownsville, Texas, the least expensive metro area in the country.

The group noted that many low-wage workers don’t make enough money to adequately provide for their family’s basic needs. Even after adjusting for higher state and city minimum wages, the group said, there is “nowhere in the country” where a minimum-wage worker would earns enough.

“It’s clear from our analysis that, even in less-expensive areas, many families will struggle to meet their basic needs,” said research assistant Zane Mokhiber. “The good news is we have many different ways to remedy this, from a higher minimum wage to ambitious child care reform. Policymakers should draw on a range of tools to help people meet the needs laid out in the Family Budget Calculator.”

Click here to go to to the calculator. You can change the number of adults and children to see exactly what your household needs to earn to live comfortably in your county.
Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report
Photo credit: David McNew/Getty Images