[CTartist]

Originally Posted by WoodwindsRock

Now onto my questions: We're planning to make a trip later this fall, whether that is in later October or November, I do not know. So I would like some advice on what to do and where to look on that trip.

I love the suburban life that I've lived in almost my entire life, but I'm willing to live in a city if I have to, to make ends meet. I've long gravitated toward the Hartford metro area versus the others. I know it's cheaper than New Haven.

When my parents come up, we hope to find a house and the town/city we find that in may be entirely different (and hopefully we'll collectively be more middle class), but right now I'm focused on finding an apartment for me (studio or one bedroom).

One big question: Realistically, how is commute to Boston or New York City? I ask because I have a lot of doctors to find..............Boston for a doctor's appointment without taking up an entire day shift of work even be possible?

Also, it's a good question as I get ready to look for jobs, as well. I don't think I'd look for a job as far away as Boston, but still jobs directly in Hartford, what is the commute like?

I know you got a lot of good answers already. I don' now too much about the Hartford area but there are many on here that do. I live in Fairfield County and I am moving to the New Haven area because the cost of living is lower.


So first let's look at the cost of living and jobs.
I picked Tulsa County OK for comparison to New Haven and Hartford Counties. There are cost of living calculators and I will use one of them. Actually if you are young and starting out in CT I think it will work in your favor. I will work with the CT minimum wage for 40 hours and I will add 25%+ to the OK minimum wage.

CT Minimum Wage: $15 an hour
OK Minimum Wage: $7.15 an hour (let's use a wage of $10.00)

CT 40hrs at minimum wage: $31,200 a year
OK 40hrs at $10 an hour: $20,800 a year...let's use $25,000 a year


If you made $25,000 in Tulsa OK County you would need to make 31,328 in New Haven County. You will be making that in CT because our minimum wage is that much.
https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate...ing-calculator
Chances are you will be making more than minimum wage if you have been doing data entry. In New Haven many jobs are in the healthcare field and the ladies in the hospitals and doctors offices are putting in information in their computers. I assume that is data entry can certainly translate to that kind of job. There is a huge need for many types of healthcare workers in New Haven including data input.

You would need to make $29,350 in Hartford County. And of of course you will be making that with just the minimum wage. I don't know about the jobs in Hartford County but many others on here do.

Let's look at healthcare next.
One of the reasons I want to live near New Haven in retirement is for Yale New Haven Hospital (which is #1 in CT) and the ability to take the train into NYC a few times a year to see specialist via the train. Hartford Hospital is ranked #2 in CT. Both are excellent hospitals. I don't think there is the ability to take the train into Boston from Hartford for their excellent healthcare and specialists.
https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/ct

Apartments/Houses
First you need to look for an apartment for yourself. I think New Haven itself will be too expensive in the good/safe areas. I think your best bet is trying to find a studio while you are starting out. In the New Haven area you might try West Haven, East Haven, Branford or Hamden for a studio apartment in a safe area. Branford is all good. There might be some sketchy areas in the other towns but not so bad like the bad areas in New Haven. The posters on here will let you know what is a good area or not when you start looking in the New Haven and Hartford areas.

Houses could be a little trickier if your parents move and by a house. Some towns in CT seem like the houses are much cheaper (and they are) but when you factor in the taxes many times it wipes out the benefit of the lower house price. When you get to that point (buying a house) come back on here and the fine folks on City-Data will steer you in the right direction.

Good Luck on your trip! Let us now how you make out.

[mdovell]

To be frank I wouldn't use minimum wage as metric to live on it just isn't enough anywhere. Renting seems to cost more than a mortgage but then to have a car on top of that in the suburbs will be a bit hard. I'd argue you need at least 60K to get by and be OK in CT. Some housing prices just keep going up. something happened to the closing of a neighbors house and they were able to sell for 20K more. It went for 18% above asking price. Not trying to discourage people from coming it but the more they save the better.

[BHW2436]

Originally Posted by mdovell

To be frank I wouldn't use minimum wage as metric to live on it just isn't enough anywhere. Renting seems to cost more than a mortgage but then to have a car on top of that in the suburbs will be a bit hard. I'd argue you need at least 60K to get by and be OK in CT. Some housing prices just keep going up. something happened to the closing of a neighbors house and they were able to sell for 20K more. It went for 18% above asking price. Not trying to discourage people from coming it but the more they save the better.

I’ve been working for 25 years and have never made minimum wage. I’m fact, when I was 17 I worked at a retail store and a restaurant and in both places made $7/hour. That was 25 years ago.

Im not sure what the point of min wage is if it’s $7.XX in 2023.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by BHW2436

I’ve been working for 25 years and have never made minimum wage. I’m fact, when I was 17 I worked at a retail store and a restaurant and in both places made $7/hour. That was 25 years ago.

Im not sure what the point of min wage is if it’s $7.XX in 2023.

So the reason I used minimum wage was because in the OP's first post she seemed to imply she is at the lower end of the pay scale. I did not use minimum wage in OK. I actually added quite a bit when I estimated her salary to be $25,000 in OK.

So the Cost of living calculator said from Tulsa OK to New Haven or Hartford County would be about 20% higher. My point was that our minimum wage is double so even if worst come to worst and she ends up making minimum wage AT FIRST she would still be OK in New Haven and Hartford Counties.

Fairfield County is another story and she would not be able to afford that but she is looking at the other two counties. That whole exercise was to point out that I believe CT would be possible.

BTW, I don't think she would be making minimum wage in New Haven County as there is a big need for people in the healthcare field to input data. I take my elderly mom (close to 90) to her doctors during the day. during the day there are a lot of older seniors like my mom who don't know how to utilize the internet. I see the ladies in the offices having to put in data that I have already done for my mom for the other seniors. There is a huge need for the OP's skills in my area (eastern Fairfield County) and New Haven County. I assume Hartford County is the same.

[CTartist]

Best Mid-Sized Cities to Make a Living
https://www.moneygeek.com/living/bes...aking-a-living

Tulsa in on this list but further down so is Hartford. In my first post on here I showed that New Haven is just little behind Hartford. So what the OP wants to do in CT is certainly not impossible.

[WoodwindsRock]

I think that data entry in medical fields may be a bit more advanced. I see that there are programs and degrees to be trained into medical coding/data entry. I'd be happy to move up to that if it means a better shot at getting sustainable jobs that pay a bit more.

But those programs/degrees cost money, which I just don't have right now. Ugh. Any chance I could land a job that would just train me? =/

I do want to note that I do not make minimum wage in Oklahoma. I do believe Connecticut's minimum wage should be $15.69 by the time I move there. That's three dollars more than I make currently. I assume, hope that a medical coding job would pay more.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by mdovell

To be frank I wouldn't use minimum wage as metric to live on it just isn't enough anywhere. Renting seems to cost more than a mortgage but then to have a car on top of that in the suburbs will be a bit hard. I'd argue you need at least 60K to get by and be OK in CT. Some housing prices just keep going up. something happened to the closing of a neighbors house and they were able to sell for 20K more. It went for 18% above asking price. Not trying to discourage people from coming it but the more they save the better.

I agree at minimum 60k in our low cost areas. Rents have soared here. 60k, if one is single, is about $3,600 after taxes per month before deductions for Health Care, 401k, etc, so I would base a budget OP, at $40k clear per 60k gross.

A decent apartment with utilities will consume at least half that 40k.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by WoodwindsRock

I think that data entry in medical fields may be a bit more advanced. I see that there are programs and degrees to be trained into medical coding/data entry. I'd be happy to move up to that if it means a better shot at getting sustainable jobs that pay a bit more.

But those programs/degrees cost money, which I just don't have right now. Ugh. Any chance I could land a job that would just train me? =/

I do want to note that I do not make minimum wage in Oklahoma. I do believe Connecticut's minimum wage should be $15.69 by the time I move there. That's three dollars more than I make currently. I assume, hope that a medical coding job would pay more.

A cousin is in medical data entry at YNH, not certified for coding, makes just under $20 an hour after about 10 years in the field. She worked for Bridgeport Hospital, taken over in these functions by Yale.

She retrained after being an Admin Assistant at Chase Bridgeport for 20 years. On her dime she retrained.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

I agree at minimum 60k in our low cost areas. Rents have soared here. 60k, if one is single, is about $3,600 after taxes per month before deductions for Health Care, 401k, etc, so I would base a budget OP, at $40k clear per 60k gross.

A decent apartment with utilities will consume at least half that 40k.

Oh come on now Bob, I have a close single childhood friend (we talk EVERY day) who lives on less than $40,000 a year in Fairfield County! She lives in a nice 1 bedroom rental in Black Rock that is $1,300 a month. I think you’ll agree Black Rock is hardly the most affordable part of the state so it is possible.

She doesn’t live lavishly. She shops sales and doesn’t waste money. She drives a 20 year old car so taxes and insurance are minimal. It gets her where she needs to go. It’s not easy but she’s happy and makes it work. I’m sure the OP could do the same. Jay

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Oh come on now Bob, I have a close single childhood friend (we talk EVERY day) who lives on less than $40,000 a year in Fairfield County! She lives in a nice 1 bedroom rental in Black Rock that is $1,300 a month. I think you’ll agree Black Rock is hardly the most affordable part of the state so it is possible.

Per rental metrics, she would not be advised to try renting that place. You are aware 30% gross is the common max in a complex, judged by landlords as the % where it is unsafe to lease to those with higher percentages. 30% of 40k would be 12k annually, 1k/mth rent max advised.

My cousin at YNH has it tough, makes about 40k, and her housing costs with Homeowner association fees is under $850 a month, btw. It's a tiny 380 sq ft studio she took mortgage on over a decade ago while making much more at Chase.

I'd advise anyone moving to google region's COL and use online tools.