

Hartford vs Worcester
$62/mo more in Worcester
HartfordWorcesterAbout 53 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Worcester leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,455/mo in Worcester. $2,393/mo in Hartford. +$744 a year.
Hartford
$2,393
left each month
Worcester
$2,455
+$62 vs Hartford
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 242 households moved Hartford → Worcester (avg AGI $66,971). 354 went the other way. The whole move →
+$62 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Hartford | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,125 | $8,352 | +$227 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,095 | $2,177 | +$82 |
| Take-home pay | $6,030 | $6,175 | +$145 |
| Rent | $1,625 | $1,745 | +$120 |
| Getting around | $519 | $524 | +$5 |
| Groceries | $412 | $400 | −$12 |
| Healthcare | $464 | $450 | −$14 |
| Utilities | $258 | $250 | −$8 |
| Everything else | $361 | $350 | −$11 |
| Left over | $2,393 | $2,455 | +$62 |
Salary to match Hartford
$99,000
Gross pay in Worcester that leaves the same amount as $97,500 in Hartford.
Tax difference
−$178
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.8% in Hartford, 26.1% in Worcester.
More about Worcester
Hartford, CT in full
Insurance-industry wages, cheap houses, and a 1.78% property tax rate.
Worcester, MA in full
A flat 5% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $2,077 and 186 sunny days; commutes average 30 minutes.
The other way
Start in Worcester.
Worcester → Hartford →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Worcester than Hartford?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Worcester leaves about $62 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,625 in Hartford and $1,745 in Worcester.
Does Worcester have state income tax?
Worcester is in Massachusetts, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Hartford to Worcester?
The paycheck is taxed in Massachusetts. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Hartford and Worcester changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.