[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by macalan

I just learned, though, that CT taxes Social Security. That's not good, so CT is probably off the list or a least has moved much lower toward the bottom.

CT taxes a lot more than social security, so probably a good idea!

[SteveM85]

The odds of coming face to face with a timbler rattler in CT are very low.

Yes, CT has the dubious distinction of being one of the original 13 colonies, and one of the 13 states to tax Social Security.

You are on the right track with Guilford, Madison. That's where I start getting the "vibe". Greenwich to New Haven has a tri-state area vibe, at least for me it does.

Something else to note, Long Isalnd Sound. Lets just say it has it's issues. Sewage leaks closed some beaches on the western shoreline this past Summer and some unfortunate fellow had a to have a leg amputated after contracting a flesh eating virus while swimming at Hammonassett State Beach in Madison. Swim at your own risk.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by SteveM85

The odds of coming face to face with a timbler rattler in CT are very low.

Yes, CT has the dubious distinction of being one of the original 13 colonies, and one of the 13 states to tax Social Security.

You are on the right track with Guilford, Madison. That's where I start getting the "vibe". Greenwich to New Haven has a tri-state area vibe, at least for me it does.

Something else to note, Long Isalnd Sound. Lets just say it has it's issues. Sewage leaks closed some beaches on the western shoreline this past Summer and some unfortunate fellow had a to have a leg amputated after contracting a flesh eating virus while swimming at Hammonassett State Beach in Madison. Swim at your own risk.

The Westport beach issue was well publicized, so it's not like something like that would happen without warning.

As far as the flesh-eating bacteria, it's pretty bad–but not unique to the Sound. Going into any water with an open wound is risky.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/0...heres-why.html

Overall, the sound's water quality HAS been improving. The latest grades:

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by macalan

I just learned, though, that CT taxes Social Security. That's not good, so CT is probably off the list or a least has moved much lower toward the bottom.

I would do the math on that before making a decision. We have a progressive tax rate, so it may be fairly low tax if you don't have other sources of income that are taxable in the state. You may find the combination of things you get in CT, including very good healthcare, to be worth it.

A married couple with $48k a year in SS income ($2k a month each) would pay only $800 in taxes. An effective tax rate of 1.67%.

Also, RI is another state that taxes SS. You'd pay a similar amount, $861.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

So that's where all the snakes are? I have an irrational fear of snakes and a rational fear of poisonous snakes. Another plus for living at the shore--never saw any at the beach. Always saw them in the woods though.

I have lived in Glastonbury for decades now and have never seen a snake of any kind. There is one part of town that has rattlesnakes. It’s the far eastern edge of town where there’s a rocky ridge line the snakes nest in. Most of their nesting and foliage area is State Forest. It became a big deal when a developer wanted to build a subdivision near them. I have not heard of anyone outside that area seeing them.

The OP should read up on snakes and where they like to nest. I am pretty sure they will find the shoreline is fine unless they buy out in the deep woods away from civilization. Otherwise they should be fine. Jay

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

This is simply over the top. I lived in Portsmouth NH for a decade. It supports a vibrant restaurant scene because the town morphed to an affluent white collar bedroom town and everyone from the surrounding area uses Portsmouth. Newburyport is the same way. It’s year round business, not a summer crush and then dead for 7 months. The tourists are only heavily visible on summer weekends. Neither has the tourist flood of Newport.

My mom used to live in Guilford. It is nothing like Newburyport or Portsmouth. Connecticut really has nothing comparable. There just aren’t enough affluent full time residents between the RI line and New Haven to support the businesses the cold 7 months of the year.

Old Saybrook has a $19.66 mill rate as the lowest tax town east of New Haven. That’s still pretty high. My mill rate at 85% valuation is $10. Guilford is almost $30.

I have been to Portsmouth and it is definitely full of tourists. I was one of them. The stores and restaurants are tourist oriented and attract people from all over the region. I have been there all different times of the year and you can see all the out of state cars there. Portsmouth has a population of just 22,000. The adjoining towns are smaller and have their own stores and restaurants. There is no way that area supports all of them without a lot of out of state tourists.

Connecticut does have Mystic which is tourist oriented. I don’t see much difference from Portsmouth. There’s lots of restaurants and bars that are jammed with tourists as well as tourist oriented shops and attractions. It has a New England coastal village feel which while not exactly the same, is still what attracts tourists.

As for taxes, as has been pointed out here before, there are two parts to property taxes, the mill rate and the property assessment. Assessment is not the same as the property value. The only way to truly determine tax differences is to compare the actual taxes paid on comparable properties. I have compared actual property taxes paid on comparable properties in comparable communities in both Massachusetts and Connecticut and have seen little differences. I have posted those comparisons so I am sure people here have seen them too.

As I said, towns like Branford, Guilford and Madison have higher taxes. That is because residents there demand good schools and services which cost money. In comparison, Old Saybrook is lower. It’s up to the OP which is more to their liking. Jay

[kidyankee764]

One thing that is tough to debate is the property tax rate in CT. It is undoubtedly higher than RI, MA and NH by nearly every metric. All studies show this to be true.

I would caution the OP, though, re: Rhode Island. While their property taxes might be slightly less, their vehicle tax is substantially higher overall and economy, overall, not much better than CT. I personally find RI to be a terrible state. Their roads are subpar, schools subpar, the jobs situation is bleak. No thanks.

NH would be your best bet re: cost of living and retirement, IMO. The services offered there are not any different than what you’d find in a town like Mystic or Clinton.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by macalan

I just learned, though, that CT taxes Social Security. That's not good, so CT is probably off the list or a least has moved much lower toward the bottom.

Social Security is exempt from Connecticut income tax if your income is under a set amount. This year it is $75,000 for singles and $100,000 for a couple. Other states may not tax social security but their income limits may be much lower. Make sure you understand the difference. The state is also phasing out the tax on pensions and annuities. By 2025, they will be 100% exempt. Jay


https://www.cga.ct.gov/2018/rpt/pdf/2018-R-0005.pdf

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Stylo

I would do the math on that before making a decision. We have a progressive tax rate, so it may be fairly low tax if you don't have other sources of income that are taxable in the state. You may find the combination of things you get in CT, including very good healthcare, to be worth it.

A married couple with $48k a year in SS income ($2k a month each) would pay only $800 in taxes. An effective tax rate of 1.67%.

Also, RI is another state that taxes SS. You'd pay a similar amount, $861.

Rhode Island excludes $15K of Social Security income and $15K of "other" income for age 65+ assuming you're moderate income. Most couples with the typical retiree income mix of SS plus taxable wouldn't be paying $861 on $48k. My mother's taxes more than doubled when I moved her from assisted living in Rhode Island to memory care in Connecticut. I send in the quarterly payments.



...and Massachusetts doesn't tax Social Security income at all. If that's your primary income source, you're hardly paying any tax.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

overall, not much better than CT.

Not much better than CT? I think most would agree CT has a stronger economy.