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Buying a home in Hartford, Connecticut

In Hartford, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $270,800, Capitol Planning Region's effective property tax rate is 1.99%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $5,725 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,269 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2025 1-year, Census Vintage 2024, FHFA HPI 2026Q2, Census ACS 2020-2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Checked on against the official sources listed at the bottom of the page.

Hartford home costs, fact by fact

  • Hartford is the first-named city of the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metropolitan area. (Census Vintage 2024)
  • That metro area is the 50th largest in the United States, with 1,169,048 residents. (Census Vintage 2024)
  • Hartford itself counts 122,129 residents. (Census Vintage 2024)
  • The median value of owner-occupied homes in Hartford is $270,800. (Census ACS 2025 1-year)
  • That figure is what owners estimate their home is worth, not a sale price. (Census ACS 2025 1-year)
  • The FHFA House Price Index shows Connecticut prices up 4.7% and Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford prices up 4.4% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026. (FHFA HPI 2026Q2)
  • Owners occupy 25.7% of the occupied homes in Hartford. (Census ACS 2020-2024)
  • Median gross rent in Hartford is $1,269 a month. (Census ACS 2020-2024)
  • Homeowners in Capitol Planning Region pay a median $6,454 a year in property tax. (Census ACS 2020-2024; Connecticut property tax by county)
  • That is 1.99% of the median home value in Capitol Planning Region, its effective property tax rate. (Census ACS 2020-2024)
  • Home-purchase mortgages in Capitol Planning Region carried median total loan costs of $5,725 in 2025, across 7,296 loans. (HMDA 2025; Capitol Planning Region loan costs)
  • Half of those loans fell between $4,693 and $9,271. (HMDA 2025)
  • HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom home is $1,933 a month in its rent area, Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA. (HUD FY 2027)
  • Connecticut charges a real estate conveyance tax on sales of $2,000 or more: a state tax of 0.75% of the price on a home up to $800,000, rising on higher slices, plus a municipal tax of 0.25% or more. (official sources; Connecticut transfer tax)

Calculate for Hartford

If you buy

Connecticut transfer taxes

Real estate conveyance tax: State: 0.75% up to $800,000, 1.25% from $800,000 to $2,500,000, 2.25% above $2,500,000 (homes); unimproved land 0.75%; non-residential property 1.25%. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$270,800
State conveyance tax$2,031
Municipal conveyance tax, Hartford (0.25% to 0.5% of the price)$677 to $1,354
Total transfer tax$2,708 to $3,385
Share of the price1% to 1.25% of the price
Who paysThe seller

Default price: the Hartford median value of owner-occupied homes, $270,800 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: Residential estate rates apply to each slice of the price. Applies only when the price is $2,000 or more. Unimproved land is 0.75% and other non-residential property 1.25% on the whole price. Every town charges a municipal tax of 0.25% of the whole price (Conn. Gen. Stat. 12-494(a)(2)); a targeted investment community or a town with a designated manufacturing plant may add up to another 0.25% (12-494(c)). Hartford is a targeted investment community and charged 0.5% in total in the Office of Legislative Research report of 2020; its current rate was not confirmed on an official page, so the range is shown: ask the town clerk. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. 12-494 (cga.ct.gov), read October 15, 2026; OLR Report 2020-R-0020. Who pays: By law the person conveying the property pays, to the town clerk, at recording (C.G.S. 12-495). The purchase contract can shift costs. Not included: other local transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Connecticut transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Connecticut state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

In short

The median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Hartford is $247,100, according to the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, against $396,900 for Connecticut. The City’s HouseHartford program offers buyers up to 20% of the price, capped at $40,000. Parts of Hartford are CHFA target areas, which carry higher state loan limits.

How much homes cost in Hartford

The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) asks owners how much they think their home would sell for. The median of those answers is a useful benchmark, but it is not a sale price: it covers every owner-occupied home, including homes bought long ago. Our page on Connecticut home prices explains the method in detail.

AreaMedian value, 2024 (ACS)Margin of error (90%)
City of Hartford$247,100±$25,220
Capitol Planning Region$360,400±$5,315
Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford metro area$367,100±$4,786
Connecticut$396,900±$3,745
United States$360,600±$618

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024, table B25077. The Capitol Planning Region stands in for Hartford County, which has no estimate in the 2024 tables. The 2025 estimates are scheduled for October 29, 2026.

The city’s median is $149,800 below the state’s. The suburbs pull the metro figure up. The city’s margin of error is wide (±$25,220), so treat the figure as a range from about $221,900 to $272,300.

Are Hartford prices rising?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) tracks repeat sales of the same single-family homes. Its purchase-only, seasonally adjusted index for the Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford metro area, published August 25, 2026, shows:

Area1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026)5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026)
Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford metro area+4.4%+51.3%
Connecticut+4.7%+49.6%
United States+2.1%+33.4%

Source: FHFA House Price Index, quarterly purchase-only files. Changes calculated by Payotte from the published index values.

Prices in the Hartford area rose about twice as fast as the nation’s over the past year. The index covers the whole metro area, not only the city.

Closing costs come on top of the price. They include lender fees, the appraisal, the survey and title work, and several of them depend on the loan and the providers you choose. Our Connecticut articles explain the rules, so we do not repeat figures here:

To see how property tax can be paid through your monthly mortgage payment, read our guide to escrow accounts.

Help for Hartford buyers

The City of Hartford’s Department of Development Services runs the homebuyer programs below. The City’s pages do not list the income figures or forgiveness terms, so ask the City or a participating lender for the current ones.

ProgramWhat it offers
HouseHartfordDown payment assistance of up to 20% of the purchase price, capped at $40,000, for low- and moderate-income buyers of one- to four-family homes and condominiums in the city. Income may not exceed HUD limits based on 80% of the Hartford-area median family income.
Employee Homebuyer Assistance ProgramNo-interest, forgivable loans for down payments and closing costs, for eligible City of Hartford and Hartford Board of Education employees.
Housing Choice Voucher to Homeownership pilotA match of up to $4,000 on at least $1,000 saved, plus a repair reserve of up to $4,000, for participants in the city’s voucher program.

Source: City of Hartford, Department of Development Services.

At the $247,100 median, 20% of the price would be $49,420, so the $40,000 cap applies.

State help comes from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA). For CHFA’s Make it Yours program, the sales price limit as of June 22, 2026, is $692,210 in Hartford’s target-area census tracts and $566,350 elsewhere in the Capitol region. CHFA’s Time To Own program offers a forgivable loan of up to $25,000. Details and a comparison are on our page about first-time buyer programs in Connecticut.

Connecticut guides for Hartford buyers

Frequently asked questions

What is the median home price in Hartford?

The Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Hartford at $247,100 (±$25,220). This is what owners think their home is worth, not the median sale price of recent sales.

Are home prices in Hartford going up?

According to the FHFA purchase-only index, prices in the Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford metro area rose 4.4% between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. Over five years, they rose 51.3%.

Why is Hartford cheaper than the rest of Connecticut?

The ACS median for the city ($247,100) is below the Capitol Planning Region ($360,400) and the state ($396,900). The data show the gap but do not explain it. Home values vary a lot between the city and its suburbs, so check the town you are considering.

Does Hartford help first-time buyers?

Yes. The City’s HouseHartford program offers up to 20% of the purchase price, capped at $40,000, to eligible low- and moderate-income buyers of homes in the city. CHFA offers state programs on top of the first mortgage.

Where can I find more on taxes and closing costs?

See our Connecticut articles on closing costs, transfer tax and property tax. They give the state rules and rates.

More Connecticut guides

Sources

Questions about buying a home in Hartford

How much is property tax in Hartford?

Homeowners in Capitol Planning Region pay a median $6,454 a year in property tax, 1.99% of the county median home value of $323,700 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Hartford?

Home-purchase mortgages in Capitol Planning Region carried median total loan costs of $5,725 in 2025; half of the 7,296 loans fell between $4,693 and $9,271 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Hartford?

Connecticut charges a real estate conveyance tax on sales of $2,000 or more: a state tax of 0.75% of the price on a home up to $800,000, rising on higher slices, plus a municipal tax of 0.25% or more. The seller pays.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Hartford?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Hartford ($228,600) equals 15 years of the median gross rent ($1,269 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Professionals by sector of Hartford

Who licenses each trade in Connecticut

Other large cities: see cities in Connecticut.

Data sources for the figures above

Connecticut · All states · Federal guides