Amherst-Northampton, MA vs Waterbury, CT: cost of living compared

Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).

The short answer

Overall, living costs in Waterbury, CT and Amherst-Northampton, MA are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Amherst-Northampton works out to about $74,700 in Waterbury, before taxes.
Housing is 8.6% lower in Waterbury, goods 0.3% higher and other services 1.4% higher, which roughly cancel out.
Zillow does not publish typical rent for Amherst-Northampton or Waterbury, so rents are not compared here.
The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Waterbury was 2.6% more expensive than Amherst-Northampton.

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.

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Share of your spending that goes on housing: 18% 18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.

Overall prices are about the same in Amherst-Northampton and Waterbury

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

Amherst-Northampton, MA
Waterbury, CT

All items

100.2 99.8

Goods

97.0 97.3

Housing (rents)

97.5 89.1

Utilities

155.7 147.6

Other services

101.2 102.7

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers

	Amherst-Northampton, MA	Waterbury, CT
All items	100.2	99.8
Goods	97.0	97.3
Housing (rents)	97.5	89.1
Utilities	155.7	147.6
Other services	101.2	102.7

Category	Amherst-Northampton	Waterbury	Waterbury vs Amherst-Northampton
All items	100.2	99.8	−0.5%
Goods	97.0	97.3	+0.3%
Housing (rents)	97.5	89.1	−8.6%
Utilities	155.7	147.6	−5.2%
Other services	101.2	102.7	+1.4%
Salary to match $75,000 in Amherst-Northampton	$75,000	$74,700	−0.5%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Amherst-Northampton and Waterbury has narrowed since 2008: 11.1 points then, 0.5 now

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

Amherst-Northampton, MA
Waterbury, CT

US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers

	Amherst-Northampton, MA	Waterbury, CT
2008	99.7	110.8
2009	103.7	111.0
2010	96.7	105.9
2011	100.1	108.4
2012	99.3	106.9
2013	100.0	107.9
2014	99.3	105.8
2015	103.1	106.1
2016	99.7	106.5
2017	102.3	106.4
2018	100.8	102.1
2019	98.7	101.3
2020	101.8	103.4
2021	99.0	99.6
2022	101.1	102.5
2023	102.8	101.0
2024	100.2	99.8

Goods

Amherst-Northampton, MA
Waterbury, CT

US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers

	Amherst-Northampton, MA	Waterbury, CT
2008	99.8	113.4
2009	101.1	111.5
2010	98.0	105.8
2011	97.9	106.2
2012	97.4	107.3
2013	97.3	107.0
2014	97.6	105.5
2015	98.8	104.8
2016	98.3	105.6
2017	99.5	106.7
2018	100.8	101.4
2019	97.9	98.7
2020	98.8	99.0
2021	96.9	97.0
2022	100.8	101.1
2023	98.8	98.6
2024	97.0	97.3

Housing (rents)

Amherst-Northampton, MA
Waterbury, CT

US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers

	Amherst-Northampton, MA	Waterbury, CT
2008	88.5	118.2
2009	112.8	125.1
2010	80.6	108.5
2011	104.9	118.3
2012	99.6	112.9
2013	96.0	117.5
2014	102.4	104.1
2015	116.0	110.7
2016	90.0	107.8
2017	101.8	104.6
2018	101.0	105.7
2019	88.2	97.7
2020	103.0	109.2
2021	94.9	95.1
2022	83.8	91.4
2023	107.0	92.3
2024	97.5	89.1

Utilities

Amherst-Northampton, MA
Waterbury, CT

US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers

	Amherst-Northampton, MA	Waterbury, CT
2008	140.6	156.0
2009	138.9	159.4
2010	121.0	147.6
2011	120.7	138.8
2012	118.0	136.3
2013	121.9	136.2
2014	126.3	137.1
2015	132.4	141.7
2016	131.0	145.3
2017	138.0	147.1
2018	146.4	141.3
2019	145.0	144.0
2020	156.5	160.3
2021	150.5	146.7
2022	142.9	139.2
2023	156.9	154.3
2024	155.7	147.6

Other services

Amherst-Northampton, MA
Waterbury, CT

US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers

	Amherst-Northampton, MA	Waterbury, CT
2008	101.3	105.8
2009	101.4	105.3
2010	99.8	103.6
2011	99.4	105.9
2012	99.8	104.0
2013	101.9	104.6
2014	98.7	105.2
2015	101.4	104.5
2016	102.1	105.3
2017	102.9	105.5
2018	99.5	100.2
2019	100.9	102.3
2020	101.6	102.4
2021	99.9	100.8
2022	105.6	104.9
2023	102.1	103.0
2024	101.2	102.7

More about each city

What this comparison leaves out

Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.