06801 — Bethel, Connecticut
Area Profile
Income, jobs, climate, physical risk and development data for ZIP code 06801. Its median household income runs 28% above Bethel as a whole, which is why this ZIP carries a profile of its own.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 11 sourcesEmployment conditions sit below most comparable ZIP areas measured: unemployment is 5.0% and the Opportunity signal places 06801 in the bottom 22%. The unemployment rate is published for Bethel, CT, which contains 06801, rather than for 06801 alone.
Public schools test above most of the state: 55% of students met the mathematics standard, placing the area in the top 14% of published profiles for schools.
2,254 housing units were authorized over the past twelve months, within 8% of the prior year — steady rather than turning. The permit count and 1 other measure here are published for Bethel, CT, which contains 06801, rather than for 06801 alone.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment across Bethel, CT, which contains 06801, is 5.0% — higher than in all but 27% of the 3,127 measured US ZIP areas.
Employment across Bethel, CT, which contains 06801, fell 4.2% over the past year, to 323,073 employed residents.
46% of adults hold a four-year degree, higher than 84% of measured US ZIP areas.
Median household income of $116,541 is higher than in 90% of measured US ZIP areas.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsWestern Connecticut Planning Region, CT’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $185,658 | 99th percentileof 2,996 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftWestern Connecticut Planning Region, CT’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $152,622 | 99th percentileof 2,996 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$7,1422024 ACS 5-Year | $116,541 | Top 10%of 31,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$4,7782024 ACS 5-Year | $58,019 | Top 12%of 32,822 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 4.6% | Top 18%of 32,846 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±2.2 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 34.2 min | Bottom 20%of 32,887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 45.7% | Top 16%of 33,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 71.2% | 34th percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentBethel, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | 323,073 | Top 14%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)Bethel, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | −3.9% | Bottom 8%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)Bethel, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | −4.2% | Bottom 3%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceBethel, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | 340,132 | 86th percentileof 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 84.1% | Top 24%of 32,883 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Mean annual wageBridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $84,700 | Top 10%of 2,760 | 2025 OEWS |
| Median annual wageBridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $61,470 | Top 9%of 2,760 | 2025 OEWS |
| Public transit to work ±0.4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.8% | 78th percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)Bethel, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | +1.3% | Bottom 2%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateBethel, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | 5.0% | Bottom 27%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 17.5% | 79th percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Median household income, successive ACS releases
Largest occupations — Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT
| Occupation | People employed | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 12,230 | $37,330 |
| General and Operations Managers | 11,140 | $137,230 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 10,850 | $38,110 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 8,660 | $36,550 |
| Registered Nurses | 8,370 | $105,660 |
| Cashiers | 8,210 | $36,420 |
Searches the 40 largest occupations here that have a published wage.
Occupational employment and wages are published for metropolitan areas rather than for individual cities or ZIP areas, so these describe the wider labor market this location sits in. 2025 OEWS, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish labor-force data for ZIP areas. This is the figure for Bethel, CT, the city containing this ZIP code.
55% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 68% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 13.3 students for every full-time teacher across 5 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel High School | Bethel School District | 1,097 | 13.7 | 47% | 71% |
| Bethel Middle School | Bethel School District | 758 | 13.1 | 59% | 69% |
| Ralph M. T. Johnson School | Bethel School District | 652 | 13.9 | 59% | 65% |
| Frank A. Berry School | Bethel School District | 378 | 11.8 | 62% | 72% |
| Anna H. Rockwell School | Bethel School District | 303 | 13.8 | 57% | 57% |
33.2% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Connecticut’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →Prices for everything a household buys run about 7% above the national average — the Bureau of Economic Analysis index reads 107.0, against 100 for the nation. Nationally, housing drives most of the spread between places in this index; other goods vary far less.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metro Area is up 53% over five years, and up 5.1% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $8,165 a year in real estate taxes, about 1.88% of the median home value.
The typical renter household here spends 31% of its income on rent, above the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $1,640 a month.
A median home at $434,600 costs 3.2 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $136,458, above the historic benchmark of about 3 times income.
Prices here run about 7% above the national average. The spread between places is driven mostly by housing — goods vary far less — and this excludes taxes.
Published for the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metro Area as a whole. Prices are regional — people shop, commute and rent across a metropolitan area rather than within a city boundary — so this describes the cost of living around this place better than a figure drawn to its own limits would.
The figures above are measured against 06801’s median household income of $116,541, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living indexthe Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metro Area’s figure2023 | 107.0 | Bottom 21%of 2,737 | 2023 |
| Home price change (1 year)the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +5.1% | 81st percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +53.3% | 84th percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +84.2% | 33rd percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.32024 ACS 5-Year | 3.2 | Bottom 34%of 29,322 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 75.2% | 41st percentileof 32,906 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±3442024 ACS 5-Year | 8,181 | 80th percentileof 33,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent ±$1422024 ACS 5-Year | $1,640 | Bottom 17%of 26,475 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$16,0172024 ACS 5-Year | $434,600 | 83rd percentileof 30,812 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$3312024 ACS 5-Year | $8,165 | 98th percentileof 28,935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$12,2002024 ACS 5-Year | $136,458 | Top 10%of 29,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.10%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.88% | 92nd percentileof 24,099 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 30.6% | Bottom 37%of 26,332 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±552024 ACS 5-Year | 49 | 62nd percentileof 33,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.6% | 43rd percentileof 32,961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 4.3% | 31st percentileof 32,961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±1802024 ACS 5-Year | 399 | 69th percentileof 33,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures and the cost-of-living index.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
76% of the 2,254 units permitted over the past twelve months are in buildings of five or more homes, so new supply is concentrated in apartments and condominiums rather than detached houses. The multifamily share is published for Bethel, CT, which contains 06801, rather than for 06801 alone.
At 3.6 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is above the median for measured US ZIP areas. The permit rate is published for Bethel, CT, which contains 06801, rather than for 06801 alone.
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Westchester County, NY 3,499 people · 15% of arrivals
- New York County, NY 2,394 people · 10% of arrivals
- Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT 1,830 people · 7.9% of arrivals
- Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 1,003 people · 4.3% of arrivals
- Bronx County, NY 950 people · 4.1% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT 3,109 people · 12% of departures
- Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 1,990 people · 7.5% of departures
- New York County, NY 1,941 people · 7.3% of departures
- Westchester County, NY 1,475 people · 5.6% of departures
- South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT 1,072 people · 4.1% of departures
Based on the address on federal tax returns, compared with the same filers a year earlier. It counts people who file, and sees a move only when the address on a return changes. Domestic moves only: people arriving from abroad are left out. This is the figure for Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT. IRS Statistics of Income, filing years 2022–2023.
The Building Permits Survey is not published for ZIP areas. This is the figure for Bethel, CT, the city containing this ZIP code.
Weather & climate
5 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 82°F and January a low of 18°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 48.0 inches.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 48.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 5 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, hurricane and earthquake, with inland flooding alone responsible for 71% of it.
Low or minimal exposure: strong wind, ice storm, winter weather, heat wave, lightning, tornado, cold wave, drought, wildfire, hail, avalanche, volcanic activity, tsunami.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. ZIP values are the land-area-weighted mean of the counties the ZIP Code Tabulation Area intersects. Expected annual loss is not allocated below county level. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Reported crime
- Offenses reported to police are published by department rather than by town, so AreaProfile shows a rate only on city profiles, and only where that city’s department submitted every month of a year. A ZIP area is not a jurisdiction, so no department reports for one. Bethel carries the figure where its department reported a full year. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
- Death-certificate rates
- The CDC publishes these rates by county, and no county figure could be attached to this page.
- Air quality
- The EPA publishes an air-quality index only where a monitor sits. There is none in this county, and a modeled value would be a different kind of number from the measured ones everywhere else on this page.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. The cost-of-living index above is a price level for all consumption, not a household budget, and it excludes taxes. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
7 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest New York Stewart Intl at 38 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±6%2024 ACS 5-Year | 94.1% | Top 25%of 32,819 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 38 mi | Bottom 22%of 3,127 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 7 | Top 11%of 3,127 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 3.7% | Top 24%of 32,819 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Stewart Intl | SWF | 38 mi | 11,817 ft |
| Bradley Intl | BDL | 54 mi | 9,510 ft |
| John F Kennedy Intl | JFK | 54 mi | 14,511 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyData & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Demographics, Income | Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division U.S. Population Migration Data (county to county) | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Housing | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional price parities and county personal income | 2023 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | 2025 OEWS |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated September 26, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.
06801 vs Bethel
How this ZIP area compares with Bethel as a whole. Both figures come from the same ACS release, so the comparison is like for like — a gap here is a real difference between the two places, not two surveys disagreeing.
Some demographic statistics use Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, which approximate but do not exactly match USPS ZIP delivery geography. See the methodology for how AreaProfile maps between them.