Cost of living in Meriden, CT — Housing, Rent & Index

All states·Connecticut·Meriden·Cost of living

Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.

$320,336
Median home value
$1,711/mo
Median rent
90
Cost index (US=100)
+4.6%
Home YoY change

The median home value in Meriden, CT is $320,336 as of 2026-04. That places Meriden below the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 90 versus a national baseline of 100.

Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Meriden has climbed 4.6%, and over the past five years it has averaged +8.8% annual growth. The current price sits +0.0% from its 5-year peak in 2026-04.

Renters pay a median of $1,711 per month in Meriden. Rents have changed +2.1% over the last year and averaged — per year over five years.

Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Meriden are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.

Housing

Median home value$320,336
1-year change+4.6%
5-year price growth+8.8%
10-year price growth+7.7%
vs 5-year peak+0.0%

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).

How Meriden compares

Cost index90 (below US)
Median home vs US (~$355k)-9.8%
Population60,849
Momentum score73 (Rising)

Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.

Affordability reality

Prices only mean something against local pay. Here’s how Meriden’s housing lines up with what people here actually earn.

Median rent vs income29% of local median income
Home price-to-income4.5× local median income

At $1,711/mo, rent eats about 29% of the local median household income of $71,253 — within the 30% rule of thumb for affordable housing.

The median home runs about 4.5× the local median income (stretched).

Daily life in Meriden

Climate

83°/64° summer36°/22° winter194 sunny days37″ snow/yr49″ rain/yr

Summers run mild (highs near 83°F) and winters are chilly (highs near 36°F), with about 37″ of snow a year.

Natural-hazard & insurance risk

Flood: moderateTornado: very lowHurricane: moderateWildfire: very lowEarthquake: very low

Insurance heads-up: in Meriden, flood damage isn’t covered by standard home insurance — budget for a separate NFIP/private flood policy and check the FEMA flood zone for the exact address.

Getting around

The average commute is 25 min — about the US average of ~27 min; 9% of workers are remote; 60% own their home.

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.