New England Consumer Survey 2023

We have conducted a survey across New England to learn about people’s attitudes toward a number of important life factors. These include things such as issues on job security, covid vaccinations, cost of living, fair taxes, and more. 

Each question was answered by a pool of respondents and has been organized to show the highest and lowest percentages for each state. These answers may well change from one year to another but are accurate at the time of writing. 

Responses may be useful for learning more about these states’ living situations and overall happiness. This may be beneficial for anyone who is considering moving to Connecticut, Maine, or another New England state.

What We Looked At and Who Was Involved

In this survey, we focused on a number of questions to get an understanding of life for people in New England. These questions primarily revolve around what the responders think of issues such as COVID-19, job security, and their general living situation. 

Below is a list of the important questions we focused on:

  1. Were you worried about job security in 2022?
  2. Are you more worried about your job security in 2023?
  3. Are you fully vaccinated against COVID-19?
  4. Do you feel you have been hit hard by the rise in the cost of living?
  5. Do you think you are Taxed Fairly?
  6. Are you Satisfied with your Living Situation?
  7. Do you Think Your State Handled COVID well?
  8. Have you Considered Moving State?
  9. Do You Vacation Out of State?

It’s also important to mention the number of participants from each state here.

Below are the number of participants per state:

  • Connecticut – 330 
  • Maine – 348
  • Massachusetts – 332
  • New Hampshire – 330
  • Rhode Island – 330
  • Vermont – 330

Which New England States Were Worried About Job Security the Most?

Job security has been a huge issue, and more so in recent years. We asked respondents about their concerns about job security in both 2022 and 2023 to learn more about how they felt regarding this issue.

The Numbers in 2022

In New England, Rhode Island was the most concerned about job security in 2022, while Maine was the least concerned. While these numbers are surprisingly low, they altered a lot when asked about job security in 2023.

  • Rhode Island – 122 (37%)
  • Connecticut – 119 yes (36%)
  • Massachusetts – 105 (32%)
  • New Hampshire – 104 (31%)
  • Vermont – 87 (26%)
  • Maine – 83 yes (24%)

The Numbers in 2023

While Maine was the least concerned about job security in 2022 (with just 24% stating they were not worried), this changed in 2023. Now, 54% of respondents in Maine are concerned about their job security, and those in Massachusetts are the least worried, with just 35%. 

  • Maine – 187 (54%)
  • Rhode Island – 168 (51%)
  • Vermont – 158 (48%)
  • New Hampshire – 154 (47%)
  • Connecticut – 138 (42%)
  • Massachusetts – 116 (35%)

Which States Have the Highest Percentage of Vaccinated Respondents?

Less than 20% of the respondents in Vermont are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while more than 40% are in Connecticut. This shows a huge difference, but it is unclear as to why the vaccination rates in New Hampshire (22%), Maine (20%), and Vermont (18%) are so low compared to Massachusetts (34%) and Connecticut (41%).

  • Connecticut – 136 (41%)
  • Massachusetts – 112 (34%)
  • Rhode Island – 80 (24%)
  • New Hampshire – 73 (22%)
  • Maine – 69 (20%)
  • Vermont – 59 (18%)

Which States Have Been Hit Hardest By the Cost of Living?

According to the survey, Maine (48%) has been worse affected by the recent rise in the cost of living, while Connecticut (37%) has been impacted the least. However, it should be noted that a fair percentage of respondents from all states have noted that the cost of living has impacted them, so this is likely to be a much wider issue to look into. 

  • Maine – 167 (48%)
  • Vermont – 150 (46%)
  • Rhode Island – 146 (44%)
  • New Hampshire – 142 (43%)
  • Massachusetts – 132 (40%)
  • Connecticut – 123 (37%)

Which States Think They Are Not Taxed Fairly?

An incredible 53% of New Hampshire respondents do not feel like they are taxed fairly, while just 39% of those in Vermont agree. Again, all the numbers from these New England states are relatively high, with both Massachusetts (49%) and Rhode Island (49%) being the next two states that do not feel like they are being fairly taxed.

  • New Hampshire – 175 (53%)
  • Massachusetts – 162 (49%)
  • Rhode Island – 160 (49%)
  • Connecticut – 143 (43%)
  • Maine – 139 (40%)
  • Vermont – 128 (39%)

How Many People Are Satisfied With Their Living Situation?

The respondents from Connecticut are the most satisfied with their living situation. However, the numbers across the board are incredibly low in this case, with the highest being just 24%. Vermont is the least happy with the living situation, with an appalling percentage of just 18% of respondents being happy. 

This is a crucial issue to look into, and more research should be done to look into why these answers are so low. In many cases, those who were earning 100k or above in high-level job roles were reported to be less happy with their living situations compared to those who were in entry-level roles and earning under 50k. 

  • Connecticut – 80 (24%)
  • Rhode Island – 76 (23%)
  • Maine – 72 (21%)
  • Massachusetts – 62 (19%)
  • New Hampshire – 60 (18%)
  • Vermont – 60 (18%)

Which States Think They Handled COVID Well?

It’s interesting to point out that none of the respondents found that their states handled COVID-19 very well, with less than 45% answering “yes” in Vermont. Only 30% of respondents in Massachusetts think their state handled COVID well, and numbers are shockingly low across the board. 

  • Vermont – 140 (42%)
  • New Hampshire – 130 (39%)
  • Maine – 128 (37%)
  • Rhode Island – 120 (36%)
  • Connecticut – 114 (35%)
  • Massachusetts – 100 (30%)

How Many People Have Considered Moving to a Different State?

Only 33% of respondents in Connecticut have considered moving to another state, while 27% have in New Hampshire. Answers vary across the board in different income brackets, which suggests that the idea of moving to a different state is not solely based on finances, though it could be the deciding factor in many cases. 

  • Connecticut – 110 (33%)
  • Rhode Island – 100 (30%)
  • Massachusetts – 92 (28%)
  • Vermont – 93 (28%)
  • Maine – 95 (27%)
  • New Hampshire – 90 (27%)

How Many People Vacation Out of State?

Similar to the above, the answers are split on whether people vacation out of state within the income brackets. However, an impressive 52% of respondents from Connecticut vacation out of state, while only 42% of those from New Hampshire do. 

  • Connecticut – 172 (52%)
  • Maine – 169 (49%)
  • Rhode Island – 162 (49%)
  • Massachusetts – 154 (46%)
  • Vermont – 147 (45%)
  • New Hampshire – 140 (42%)

Summary

There are undoubtedly issues regarding living in New England, whether that is due to unfair taxes, COVID handling, job security, or another issue. However, the fact that so many people have not considered moving to another state despite these issues may suggest that there is something that draws people to these places. 

Overall, the issues that our survey looked into are very real, and the respondents’ answers make it clear that there are things that need to change. 

If you’re considering moving to Connecticut, you’ll want to figure out the best places to live. Looking at a few maps of Connecticut should help you do that.

Anyone looking to move to Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey, or New York should also read these articles comparing the different states.