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Hartford ranks as the most expensive city in the United States with New Haven finishing in fourth, according to U.S. News & World Report. Joining them on the list are Los Angeles at No. 2, Miami at 3, and New York City at 5.
Nearby Boston is 9 with two other Massachusetts cities — Springfield and Worcester — also in the top 25.
Researchers looked at the average price of goods like groceries and transportation, along with rent and home costs compared against average income. Hartford scored higher than average in the former and lower in the latter.
The city also has a higher-than-average unemployment rate of nearly 11 percent while the US average is 4.3 percent, according to most recent US Department of Labor statistics.
Hartford also scored 7 out of 10 in quality of life in the ranking. However, the "value index," which measures if residents can afford to live comfortably, was just 3.3.
Researchers called New Haven the "cultural capital" of Connecticut, but that didn't help its rankings. The city scored slightly higher in the value index with 3.7 out of 10 but only a 6.6 in quality of life.
Click here to see the full US News & World Report ranking.
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