Bethel, CT Cost Of Living

Bethel cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	Bethel	Connecticut	National
Cost of living index	126	120	100
Index	Bethel	Connecticut	National
Goods & Services index	122	120	100
Groceries index	109	105	100
Health care index	114	114	100
Housing index	149	137	100
Transportation index	115	112	100
Utilities index	112	103	100

The above illustration supplies generalized information for the Bethel, CT cost of living index. Compared to other cities in Connecticut and cities across the country, the cost of living index in Bethel, CT is 126, which is 5% higher than the Connecticut average and 26% higher than that for the entire country. The index is comprised of the following criteria: cost of retail goods and services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), cost of public/private transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). Everyday goods and services, along with housing account for 63 percent of the total cost of living index. Goods and services that are a necessity regardless of location provide an accurate general sense of the cost of living in one city versus another. As seen above, the cost of retail goods and services in Bethel, CT are 1% higher than the average for Connecticut and 22% higher than the rest of the country.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Bethel is 5% higher than the Connecticut average.
The cost of living in Bethel is 26% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Bethel is 49% higher than the national average.
Connecticut general sales tax is 25% higher than the national average.
Connecticut state income tax is 35% higher than the national average.

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

Use the salary calculator to compare your current salary in Bethel, CT to any other city. The salary calculator will tell you how much you would need to earn in any given city to maintain the same standard of living based on the cost of living in each city. For example, if the cost of living in the city you are looking to relocate to is higher than the cost of living in Bethel, CT, then you would need to earn more income in order to maintain the same standard of living. To use the Bethel, CT salary calculator, simply enter in the name of the new city, then adjust the slider to your current income. The salary calculator will do the rest and let you know if you need to earn more or less in the new city. You will also see a complete breakdown of the cost of living.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$87,453	$7,288	$2,040	$2,624
Renters	$51,765	$4,314	$1,208	$1,553

The percent of monthly income spent on housing can be a good indicator of the affordability of housing in Bethel, CT as well as the overall cost of living. As a general rule of thumb, the debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for homeowners or renters should be not more than 28 percent of gross income to be spent on housing related costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses, including debts. The median income for Bethel, CT homeowners, is $87,453. This would allow for a maximum of $2,040 per month to be spent on housing costs. For renters, the median monthly income is $51,765 which would result in a maximum of $1,208 to be spent on rental costs.

Connecticut Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Connecticut	6.35%	6.35%

Connecticut Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Connecticut	3%	6.99%

The Connecticut sales tax and Connecticut income tax rates should definitely be considered when determining the overall cost of living in Bethel, CT. Sales taxes are taxes that are imposed onto goods and services sold. Sales taxes do vary by state and can range from no tax at all to upwards of 7%. The Connecticut sales tax is 6.35% and the maximum surtax is 6.35%. Income tax is the tax imposed on income by the government. The income tax rates will vary by state and will also increase or decrease depending on the corresponding tax bracket. State income tax rates can range from anywhere from no tax at all to more than 9%. The Connecticut income tax rates range from 3% to 6.99%.

Goods & Services

Item	Bethel	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$19.87	$16.09	23.6%
Beauty Salon	$64.81	$37.33	73.6%
Toothpaste	$3.03	$2.45	23.8%
Shampoo	$0.99	$1.00	0.6%
Movie	$12.69	$10.28	23.4%
Bowling	$7.03	$4.93	42.5%

Groceries

Item	Bethel	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$4.10	$3.80	7.7%
Fried Chicken	$1.44	$1.40	3.3%
Milk	$1.96	$2.01	2.6%
Potatoes	$3.47	$3.01	15.4%
Pizza	$9.98	$9.89	0.9%
Beer	$10.01	$8.90	12.6%

Health Care

Item	Bethel	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$115.59	$102.16	13.2%
Doctor	$124.71	$108.36	15.1%
Dentist	$112.48	$92.53	21.6%
Ibuprofen	$10.51	$9.28	13.3%
Lipitor	$413.07	$425.82	3.0%

Housing

Item	Bethel	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$277,900.00	$184,700.00	50.5%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$2,408.75	$1,202.44	100.3%
Apartment Rent	$1,380.00	$949.00	45.4%

Transportation

Item	Bethel	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.55	$2.24	13.7%
Tire Balancing	$54.89	$46.29	18.6%

Utilities

Item	Bethel	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$200.20	$165.96	20.6%
Phone	$29.17	$28.68	1.7%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Watchtower, NY	2,316	116	16%
Cannondale, CT	92	116	16%
Copake Hamlet, NY	161	109	9%
Bridgeport, CT	147,022	108	8%
Heritage Village, CT	3,875	110	10%
Bethel, CT	9,541	126	26%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Hampton, NH	9,542	131	31%
Winfield, IL	9,543	118	18%
Winslow, AZ	9,539	88	-12%
North Gates, NY	9,537	91	-9%
Steger, IL	9,535	89	-11%
Bethel, CT	9,541	126	26%

Source: The Bethel, CT cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 2017.

Bethel, CT Cost of Living