Is $79,000 a good salary in Connecticut?

$79,000 in Connecticut provides a monthly take-home of approximately $5,027 after taxes. Across major Connecticut cities, this salary is rated very comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $2,167.

What is the cost of living on $79,000 in Connecticut?

The average monthly living cost across major Connecticut cities is approximately $2,860 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $79,000 take-home pay of $5,027/month, you would have roughly $2,167/month remaining.

Living in Connecticut · 2026

Is $79,000 enough to live in Connecticut?

Single adult · CT · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$5,027

Avg monthly expenses

$2,860

Avg monthly surplus

$2,167

Savings potential

~43%

After-tax take-home in Connecticut

Gross salary$79,000

Federal income tax− $8,734

State income tax− $3,895

Social Security− $4,898

Medicare− $1,146

Annual take-home$60,327

Effective tax rate23.64%

How $79,000 feels in Connecticut cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Bridgeport

COL index: 1.18× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,600

Food

$537

Transport

$207

Utilities

$195

Healthcare

$236

Total: $2,775/mo

Surplus: $2,252/mo

Rent burden: 31.8% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Bridgeport analysis →

New Haven

COL index: 1.16× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,550

Food

$528

Transport

$203

Utilities

$191

Healthcare

$232

Total: $2,704/mo

Surplus: $2,323/mo

Rent burden: 30.8% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full New Haven analysis →

Hartford

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,400

Food

$506

Transport

$189

Utilities

$178

Healthcare

$216

Total: $2,489/mo

Surplus: $2,538/mo

Rent burden: 27.8% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Hartford analysis →

Stamford

COL index: 1.48× national avg

Comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$2,200

Food

$638

Transport

$259

Utilities

$244

Healthcare

$296

Total: $3,637/mo

Surplus: $1,390/mo

Rent burden: 43.8% — High (35–50%)

Full Stamford analysis →

Waterbury

COL index: 0.98× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,200

Food

$475

Transport

$172

Utilities

$162

Healthcare

$196

Total: $2,205/mo

Surplus: $2,822/mo

Rent burden: 23.9% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Waterbury analysis →

Norwalk

COL index: 1.38× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$2,000

Food

$607

Transport

$241

Utilities

$228

Healthcare

$276

Total: $3,352/mo

Surplus: $1,675/mo

Rent burden: 39.8% — High (35–50%)

Full Norwalk analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $5,027 ($60,324/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$2,514

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$1,508

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$1,005

per month

›Emergency fund
›401(k) / IRA
›Investments
›Down payment fund
›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$30,162

Wants / year

$18,097

Savings / year

$12,065

Salary Intelligence

Moderate salary in Bridgeport

Rent takes 32% of take-home income, which is above the ideal 25% but still manageable. Savings will be limited; consider lower-cost housing to improve your financial position.

Lifestyle score: 6.5/10 (Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $79,000 salary comfortably supports a good single lifestyle in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with approximately $2,252/month (~45% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Bridgeport's above-average cost of living (index: 1.18) means $79,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $66,949 in an average-cost US city, or $79,000 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$79,000 is 49% above the Connecticut individual median ($53,100) and 41% above the US national median of $56,000.

State individual median

$53,100

+49%

State household median

$90,213

-12%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)

401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$79,000 vs. Connecticut income benchmarks

Individual median (Connecticut)

$53,100

+49% vs. this salary

Household median (Connecticut)

$90,213

-12% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Connecticut

$40,000 $60,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

•Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
•Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
•Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Data updated monthly using government datasets.