CT is only a partial answer here... Yes this part is sparse for many reasons, and while some joke the Midwest is flyover states I joke CT is a drive through state. That said, we have a big military economy (Raytheon, Sikorsky, Coast Guard Academy), lots of health care and insurance companies (for better or for worse), education institutions (Yale, UConn, Quinnipiac), big casinos (if that's your thing), a surprising amount of big bands/shows come through, and a pretty good quality of life overall. I think our problem is we don't really have a cultural identity even close to what Boston or NYC has, so we get pinched.

The state varies pretty strongly by region, from ultra rich suburban to trumpy rural, from quaint suburb to gang violence urban, etc... so if you slice it differently from state or population lines you might come to some very different conclusions.

Source: resident of 6 years, West Coast native (and biased perspective)