A survey released on July 7 by the University of New Hampshire found that 84 percent of Connecticut residents surveyed found the state to be either “not very” or “not at all” affordable, and 40 percent of respondents indicated they were likely to move out of state in the next five years as debates over affordability in Connecticut have taken center stage in political races.

Respondents to the Nutmeg State Poll split on their overall favorability rating for Connecticut, with 70 to 80 percent or more of progressives, liberals, and socialists rating Connecticut good or very good, compared to 29 percent of self-described conservatives and 41 percent of libertarians. Sixty-three percent of moderates rated Connecticut good or very good.

Practically no one from any political or ideological group, however, rated Connecticut as a very affordable place to live, and ratings of “somewhat affordable” are less than 30 percent, and that high cost of living is dragging on Connecticut’s favorability and pushing a sizeable chunk of residents to want to move south, according to the survey.

“Connecticut residents are less likely than Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont to rate their state as a very good or good place to live, and along with Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont residents, only about one in six describe it as affordable,” the survey says. “Connecticut residents are more likely than residents of any of these states to express a desire to move out of the state.”

Connecticut has long been known as a high-cost-of-living state, driven by high taxes, high housing costs, and high energy costs, among other things, and regularly loses more residents to other states than it takes in, according to a history of IRS and Census Bureau numbers. The state’s population, however, has largely remained flat, bolstered by international migration, and moves from other high cost of living states like New York.

Conservatives, by far, were the political group most likely to move out in the next five years, according to the poll, with 65 percent saying they were very likely or somewhat likely to move, compared to roughly 29 percent of moderates, liberals and progressives.

Across all political spectrums, however, the most important reason driving someone to potentially move was “cheaper housing or cost of living” followed by “lower taxes,” although roughly half of Republicans, conservatives, and libertarians said they would consider moving to find a “different political or social environment.”

Connecticut’s affordability problems have been long documented, particularly following the 2010s when consecutive budget crises saw major tax increases, followed by the pandemic during which Connecticut’s housing costs were driven higher, and electricity rates became one of the most pressing affordability concerns, all of them driving competing political narratives as candidates gear up for 2026 elections.

Gov. Ned Lamont in seeking his third term faces a primary challenge from Rep. Josh Elliott, with both candidates claiming they can make Connecticut more affordable. The winner of the Democratic Primary will go on to face Republican nominee Sen. Ryan Fazio, R-Greenwich.

Every candidate has seized on Connecticut’s affordability issues, particularly around energy and housing. Although Lamont has overseen an era of budget surpluses, paying down pension debt, and one of the first tax decreases since the imposition of the state’s income tax, the state’s affordability issues continue. 

Efforts by the General Assembly to lower energy prices have failed to produce any noticeable results or quell public demands for lower electricity prices following years of increasing costs related to public benefits charges; housing legislation pushed through the General Assembly will likely take years to have an effect, if any effect at all, and property taxes continue to climb.

International events ranging from COVID to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, tariffs on imported goods, and the War in Iran have multiplied the cost-of-living problems not only in Connecticut, but across the country.

The results of New Hampshire’s survey of New England states and Connecticut, in particular, mirror findings in national surveys – that Americans are concerned with inflation and the ever escalating cost of energy, housing, and healthcare, according to an April 2026 survey by Gallup, which found affordability “continues to be the main financial challenge for U.S. households,” and “outpacing all other financial worries.”

Overall, despite the affordability issues, 58 percent of Connecticut residents rated the state as a good or very good place to live, with Democrats skewing much higher in their favorability, Republicans much lower, and independents split at 50 percent.

“A majority of Connecticut residents say the state is a very good or good place to live, particularly Democrats and older residents,” the Nutmeg State Poll said. “However, only one in six residents describe Connecticut as very or somewhat affordable. Four in ten residents say they are likely to move out of the state within five years, and even more want to move out, higher than any other surveyed New England states this month.”

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