Wallingford Center, Connecticut
Area Profile
18,208 residents. Public schools, jobs, income, housing cost, climate and natural-hazard risk for Wallingford Center, in South Central Connecticut Planning Region.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 11 sourcesEmployment conditions sit below most comparable cities measured: unemployment is 5.9% and the Opportunity signal places Wallingford Center in the bottom 7%. The unemployment rate is published for South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT, which contains Wallingford Center, rather than for Wallingford Center alone.
In the public schools here, 43% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 10.9 students for every teacher.
783 housing units were authorized over the past twelve months, within 9% of the prior year — steady rather than turning. The permit count and 1 other measure here are published for South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT, which contains Wallingford Center, rather than for Wallingford Center 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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT, which contains Wallingford Center, is 5.9% — higher than in all but 9% of the 4,226 measured US cities.
Employment across South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT, which contains Wallingford Center, fell 4.0% over the past year, to 285,826 employed residents.
36% of adults hold a four-year degree, higher than 77% of measured US cities.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $74,908 | 54th percentileof 4,101 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $83,737 | 69th percentileof 4,101 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$7,9612024 ACS 5-Year | $89,959 | Top 25%of 29,326 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$5,0382024 ACS 5-Year | $49,570 | Top 18%of 31,420 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 6.5% | Top 31%of 31,773 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±2.9 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 26.6 min | Top 50%of 31,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 35.8% | Top 23%of 31,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 73.7% | 38th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | 285,826 | Top 26%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | −4.5% | Bottom 5%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | −4.0% | Bottom 3%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | 303,898 | 74th percentileof 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 88.2% | Top 14%of 31,513 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Mean annual wageNew Haven, CT Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $75,620 | Top 27%of 3,729 | 2025 OEWS |
| Median annual wageNew Haven, CT Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $60,060 | Top 20%of 3,729 | 2025 OEWS |
| Public transit to work ±0.3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.3% | 77th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | +1.4% | Bottom 1%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | 5.9% | Bottom 9%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 12.9% | 70th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Median household income, successive ACS releases
Largest occupations — New Haven, CT
| Occupation | People employed | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 10,050 | $104,490 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 9,430 | $43,840 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,370 | $39,720 |
| Retail Salespersons | 6,810 | $35,950 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 6,210 | $37,890 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 5,900 | $35,290 |
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 publishes city-level labor data only for places of 25,000 or more. This is the figure for South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT, which contains this city.
43% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 60% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 10.9 students for every full-time teacher across 12 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyman Hall High School | Wallingford School District | 936 | 10.5 | 39% | 70% |
| Mark T. Sheehan High School | Wallingford School District | 673 | 11.2 | 47% | 67% |
| Dag Hammarskjold Middle School | Wallingford School District | 593 | 11.0 | 35% | 52% |
| James H. Moran Middle School | Wallingford School District | 531 | 9.7 | 41% | 58% |
| Cook Hill School | Wallingford School District | 357 | 12.3 | — | — |
| Moses Y. Beach School | Wallingford School District | 326 | 12.1 | — | — |
| Evarts C. Stevens School | Wallingford School District | 301 | 11.1 | — | — |
| Highland School | Wallingford School District | 292 | 12.7 | — | — |
| Rock Hill School | Wallingford School District | 278 | 10.7 | 49% | 50% |
| Parker Farms School | Wallingford School District | 268 | 11.2 | 49% | 52% |
| Pond Hill School | Wallingford School District | 267 | 10.3 | 46% | 58% |
| Mary G. Fritz Elementary School of Yalesville | Wallingford School District | 265 | 10.6 | 52% | 55% |
35.2% 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 5% above the national average — the Bureau of Economic Analysis index reads 105.4, 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 New Haven, CT Metro Area is up 55% over five years, and up 6.0% 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 $5,264 a year in real estate taxes, about 1.65% of the median home value.
The typical renter household here spends 25% of its income on rent, below the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $1,336 a month.
A median home at $319,200 costs 2.9 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $111,758, close to the historic benchmark for an affordable market.
Prices here run about 5% above the national average. The spread between places is driven mostly by housing — goods vary far less — and this excludes taxes.
Published for the New Haven, 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 Wallingford Center’s median household income of $89,959, 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 New Haven, CT Metro Area’s figure2023 | 105.4 | Bottom 33%of 3,700 | 2023 |
| Home price change (1 year)the New Haven, CT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +6.0% | 87th percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the New Haven, CT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +54.9% | 89th percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the New Haven, CT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +91.2% | 48th percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.52024 ACS 5-Year | 2.9 | Bottom 38%of 26,901 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 60.4% | 21st percentileof 31,840 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±5082024 ACS 5-Year | 8,647 | 93rd percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent ±$1022024 ACS 5-Year | $1,336 | Bottom 25%of 23,217 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$11,3462024 ACS 5-Year | $319,200 | 74th percentileof 29,111 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$3092024 ACS 5-Year | $5,264 | 91st percentileof 26,440 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$17,9492024 ACS 5-Year | $111,758 | Top 19%of 27,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.11%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.65% | 84th percentileof 20,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 24.8% | Top 32%of 23,052 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±212024 ACS 5-Year | 0 | 1st percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.0% | 1st percentileof 31,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 5.2% | 40th percentileof 31,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±2042024 ACS 5-Year | 448 | 89th percentileof 32,330 | 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.
67% of the 783 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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT, which contains Wallingford Center, rather than for Wallingford Center alone.
Federal tax returns show South Central Connecticut Planning Region, which contains Wallingford Center, lost about 0.4% of its residents through moves within the US in the most recent year, counting those who arrived against those who left. Households that moved in reported an average income of $74,908, below the $83,737 of households that moved out.
At 1.4 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is below the median for measured US cities. The permit rate is published for South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT, which contains Wallingford Center, rather than for Wallingford Center alone.
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 2,326 people · 12% of arrivals
- Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT 2,248 people · 11% of arrivals
- Capitol Planning Region, CT 1,719 people · 8.6% of arrivals
- Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT 1,100 people · 5.5% of arrivals
- Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT 1,072 people · 5.4% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 2,715 people · 13% of departures
- Capitol Planning Region, CT 2,229 people · 10% of departures
- Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT 1,574 people · 7.3% of departures
- Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT 1,273 people · 5.9% of departures
- Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT 720 people · 3.3% 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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT. IRS Statistics of Income, filing years 2022–2023.
The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey lists only jurisdictions that issue their own permits, and Wallingford Center, CT is not one. This is the figure for South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT, which contains this city.
Weather & climate
5 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 84°F and January a low of 19°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 44.9 inches.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 84°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 coastal flooding, with inland flooding alone responsible for 62% of it.
Low or minimal exposure: lightning, winter weather, strong wind, tornado, cold wave, wildfire, hail, drought, volcanic activity, tsunami, avalanche.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. City values are the population-weighted mean of the counties the city overlaps, using AreaProfile place-to-county land-area weights. 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. Either no municipal department reports for this place — many smaller communities are policed by the county — or its department did not report every month of the year. Either way there is no figure to show. 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 Bradley Intl at 34 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 90.9% | Top 45%of 31,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 34 mi | Bottom 23%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 7 | Top 13%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 5.2% | Top 38%of 31,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Intl | BDL | 34 mi | 9,510 ft |
| Westfield-Barnes Rgnl | BAF | 49 mi | 9,000 ft |
| Westover ARB/Metro | CEF | 53 mi | 11,597 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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Other cities in New Haven, CT
Same metropolitan area, measured the same way| City | County | Population | Area Score | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven | South Central Connecticut Planning Region | 134,349 | 43 | New Haven vs Wallingford Center |
| Meriden | South Central Connecticut Planning Region | 60,545 | 47 | Meriden vs Wallingford Center |
| West Haven | South Central Connecticut Planning Region | 55,351 | 47 | West Haven vs Wallingford Center |
| Milford | South Central Connecticut Planning Region | 51,023 | 54 | |
| East Haven | South Central Connecticut Planning Region | 27,806 | 48 | |
| North Haven | South Central Connecticut Planning Region | 24,336 | 55 | |
| Orange | South Central Connecticut Planning Region | 14,315 | 55 |
Every city here is measured on the same scale from the same source releases, so the comparison is like for like. A higher Area Score reflects AreaProfile’s standardized weighting rather than a judgment about which is the better place to live.
Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyCompare
Put Wallingford Center side by side with a similar place.
Moving to Wallingford Center from somewhere else?
You get the difference in prices, rent and weather, and the income that would keep pace.
Data & 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.
ZIP codes in Wallingford Center
1 ZIP areaEvery ZIP area in Wallingford Center with census figures of its own, largest first.
| ZIP | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Area Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06492 | 44,498 | $105,061 | $353,600 | 54 |