Negotiating pay when I have been out of work after 14 years as an administrative assistant

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as an administrative assistant. I do not usually post, so bear with me. I looked up ranges in Hartford and they vary a lot. Does giving a range hurt?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.