[heatm26]

Hi everyone. My husband has recently been offered a job in the Stratford, CT area. We have lived in the Panama City, FL area our entire lives, so moving to the Northeast will be a MAJOR change for us. Cost of living here is very palatable and quite frankly I am very reluctant to give up our beach lifestyle for snow and a high cost of living. That being said, I am open to the change but I am having a difficult time researching places to live because of the HUGE disparity between living expenses in the North vs. South.

We currently live in a 2,500 sq/ft 3 bedroom/2 bath townhome with a 2 car garage in a privately gated beach community for around $1,200/monthly rent. It is my understanding that we can barely get a studio apartment in CT with more than 600 sq/ft for the same price. Panic-mode is starting to set in and I don't think I can make a decision without some insider knowledge of the area/economy/lifestyle.

Other areas suggested to us by my husband's future employer are Milford, Ansonia, and Shelton. We have two small dogs (under 10lbs) so we are looking for something pet-friendly. In terms of affordability, which area would you suggest for an apartment rental that is also relatively safe? Realistically speaking, how much should we be budgeting for basic monthly living expenses? The last thing I want is to "go it alone" and get stuck in something significantly more expensive than necessary.

Long story short: any advice for two Florida kids relocating to Connecticut without dying of sticker-shock would be greatly appreciated!

[Stylo]

A studio for barely more than 600 square feet for $1200 sounds more like NYC than CT.

You should be able to find a modest 2BR for around that same price. Milford is very nice but rent is a little higher than towns like Derby and Ansonia. It's generally nicer, though. Shelton is a good option too, roughly the same price as Milford. Seymour is worth considering but will start to make your commute a little longer. There's nothing wrong with Stratford itself, except you should avoid certain areas that border Bridgeport, like around Barnum Ave.

Try hotpads.com to start looking at prices.

[NewJeffCT]

good luck with your potential move. You'll definitely get less for your money in CT. Milford and Shelton are good options as alternatives to Stratford, but neither will be much difference in price. You won't find too many gated communities in Connecticut, but the suburbs are generally very safe.

Here is a 1 bedroom condo on the beach in Milford:
At the Beach

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

Here is a 1 bedroom condo on the beach in Milford:
At the Beach

That is a fantastic location. Bet they don't take dogs though.

[HumpDay]

The more southwest you go in Connecticut, the more expensive it is because of how close it is to New York City. The closer you get to New Haven, the cheaper it is but not by much. Fairfield County is expensive to live in and a great place to raise a family if you can get by. The more north you go (north of the Merritt Parkway) the less densley populated it is and calmer. Technically the closer you are by the water, the more expensive it is. The quality of life overall in Fairfield County is hard to beat anywhere in the country. The beach just being minutes away, your close to everything (malls, restaurants, the highway) and you have great schools. Anyway to your question. Unfortunately your going to have a higher cost of living no matter what. If you want to rent an apartment in terms of affordability then Bridgeport and Ansonia have some decent prices but crime is a little high and there are some sketchy areas. My best choices to you are either Trumbull, Monroe, or West / East Haven. Those are good places to live in. They are all in close proximity of Stratford. The only downside is that Interstate 95 is extremely congested during Rush hour and I would highly not recommend you to not take I-95 near New Haven or Stamford area. You don't need to take Interstate 95 to get to Stratford from Trumbull or Monroe. Anyway, hoped that helped and Welcome to Connecticut.

[Stylo]

East Haven to Stratford? That wouldn't make sense. You'd have to pass through New Haven.

Also, there's very little rush hour traffic in the stretch from Orange to Stratford on 95.

[willow wind]

You can forget 2500 square feet, three bedrooms and a two car garage for $ 1200 a month in a rental- in a gated beach community.

You're more likely to find around 1200 square feet ( maybe) , 2 bedrooms, either single level or maybe townhouse. A garage is very iffy but not totally impossible if you can find a townhouse. CT has very little in gated communities so don't expect that- it's both not popular and really not needed. You might possibly get near the beach if you look in Milford, West Haven.

What I'm describing as a possible rental will be $1200- $1800 or maybe more, depending on where and what. With a little dog it could be do-able, two dogs much more difficult. Expect pet deposits and possible a bit higher monthly rent for each dog.

Get into the real estate websites, such as realtor. com, zillow. com, trulia. com. Input your towns and parameters and you'll get a good idea of what is available for for what. Hotpads.com is another good website.

Yes, it's going to be an economic shock moving from what you have to what you'll find here. You'll pay more for less. Only you can decide if it's worth it.

[DanBev]

Tax shock will set in,we have home free and clear and still have doubts because of taxes.
I just checked on taxes on 12 by 16 storeage bldg.,$50 per year.We have 12 X 16,12 X 24,10 X10 never taxed.
I have $72,000 in exemptions with no taxes after 25 years in FL,plates $58 and no personal property taxes etc.

[papafox]

I don't want to be a downer, but if I were you I would stay put in Florida. You already have a decent sized place down there for a lot less money that what you would have up here, even in the Hartford are, let alone Fairfield County.

Besides getting a lot less for your $$ in CT than where you already live, the overall climate here is MUCH worse, especially in the winter! Temps have been below freezing for almost a month STRAIGHT here. Granted it is rare to have that, but just that alone would make me think twice about leaving FL, being that you are a native and haven't lived in a climate that has cold and snowy winters.

To add insult to injury, the traffic in Fairfield County is God Awful, if the weather isn't bad enough. Its congested enough as it is in the Hartford Area where I live, but multiply that by 10, and coming from that part of Fla, you might be in for as much of a shock as you will be with the cold climate.

While we do have beaches, they are NOTHING compared to Fla, and don't even come close to being half as nice, especially west of New Haven. Cape Cod, RI, MIGHT be able to compete in terms of good beaches, but anywhere else, not even close to Florida.

Lastly, I have to take issue with the previous posters who talk about Fairfield County being a desirable place to live. I strongly disagree with that, not just because of the awful income/housing price ratio, but also because (overall of course) the people are A LOT less friendly that what you are used to in the Florida Panhandle AND the absolutely horrific traffic.

I'm mostly talking about lower FFC near I-95 and the Merrit Parkway. Upper FFC around I-84 (e.g. Newtown) isn't that bad, and is actually more in line with the upper-middle class suburbs of Hartford where I live.

So taking the worse climate, worse COL, and worse traffic all together, I believe you will probably be happier staying in Fla.

Just one of those 3 things that I listed by itself might not be enough reason not to come here, but those 3 things taken collectively would really make me think twice about coming here, ESPECIALLY the climate.

Call your local grocery store, ask to speak with the manager, and ask him/her if you can stand inside the walk-in freezer!

Stay inside there for at least a full hour, and then decide if you REALLY want to move up here!!

[JayCT]

heatm26 - You really are looking to make a BIG change. We can't do anything about the weather differences. You are moving from one of the warmest parts of the country to one of the colder parts, You are also talking about moving from one of the quieter less-dense areas to one of the busiest and most densely populated. And finally you are talking about moving from one of the lowest cost places to one of the highest. That is a LOT of change. Still it can be doable as long as you are prepared for the changes.

Stratford is in eastern Fairfield County. Western Fairfield County is one of the priciest and most desirable suburbs in the greater New York City area. Stratford and the towns north and east of it are more affordable than western Fairfield County but still not anywhere near as low as where you live now. You should expect to have a significant bump in pay to move here (about 35-40% more would likely be needed). Also the traffic in eastern Fairfield County is not nearly as bad as western but then I am sure it is still a lot busier than where you live now. Still you would be moving to one of the oldest, most historic and exciting parts of the country. New York City would be a 90 minute train ride away and you are not far from Boston, the mountains of Vermont or the beautiful and quant Connecticut countryside. It could be viewed as an adventure if that is what you wish. Only you and your husband can decide if this is for you are not. Jay