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

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

The short answer

Overall, living costs in Amherst-Northampton, MA and Waterbury, CT are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Waterbury works out to about $75,300 in Amherst-Northampton, before taxes.
Housing is 9.5% higher in Amherst-Northampton, goods 0.3% lower and other services 1.4% lower, which roughly cancel out.
Zillow does not publish typical rent for Waterbury or Amherst-Northampton, so rents are not compared here.
The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Amherst-Northampton was 2.6% less expensive than Waterbury.

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 Waterbury and Amherst-Northampton

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

Waterbury, CT
Amherst-Northampton, MA

All items

99.8 100.2

Goods

97.3 97.0

Housing (rents)

89.1 97.5

Utilities

147.6 155.7

Other services

102.7 101.2

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

Show the numbers

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

Category	Waterbury	Amherst-Northampton	Amherst-Northampton vs Waterbury
All items	99.8	100.2	+0.5%
Goods	97.3	97.0	−0.3%
Housing (rents)	89.1	97.5	+9.5%
Utilities	147.6	155.7	+5.5%
Other services	102.7	101.2	−1.4%
Salary to match $75,000 in Waterbury	$75,000	$75,300	+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 Waterbury and Amherst-Northampton has narrowed since 2008: 11.1 points then, 0.5 now

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

Waterbury, CT
Amherst-Northampton, MA

US average = 100

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

Show the numbers

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

Goods

Waterbury, CT
Amherst-Northampton, MA

US = 100

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

Show the numbers

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

Housing (rents)

Waterbury, CT
Amherst-Northampton, MA

US = 100

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

Show the numbers

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

Utilities

Waterbury, CT
Amherst-Northampton, MA

US = 100

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

Show the numbers

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

Other services

Waterbury, CT
Amherst-Northampton, MA

US = 100

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

Show the numbers

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

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.