City comparison
New Haven, CT is about 40 miles (60 km) from Stamford, CT in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from New Haven, CT to Stamford, CT takes about 4 min, covering roughly 40 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
New Haven has a population of 135,736, vs 135,413 in Stamford — about the same size. By land area, Stamford covers about 38 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for New Haven.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | New Haven | Stamford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,402/mo | $2,129/mo | 51.9% higher in Stamford |
| Median home value | $236,500 | $584,700 | 147.2% higher in Stamford |
| Median household income | $54,305 | $100,718 | 85.5% higher in Stamford |
| Groceries index | 106.7 | 109.4 | 2.5% higher in Stamford |
| Utilities index | 128.3 | 124.5 | 3.0% higher in New Haven |
| Transportation index | 104.3 | 105.0 | 0.6% higher in Stamford |
| Healthcare index | 105.1 | 105.7 | 0.6% higher in Stamford |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in New Haven, you'd need $103,826 in Stamford to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
New Haven, CT is about 3.7% cheaper overall than Stamford, CT, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% higher in Stamford than in New Haven. If you earn $80,000 in New Haven, you'd need about $83,061 in Stamford to keep the same standard of living.