06708 — Waterbury, Connecticut
Area Profile
Income, jobs, climate, physical risk and development data for ZIP code 06708. Its median household income runs 30% above Waterbury as a whole, which is why this ZIP carries a profile of its own.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 12 sourcesEmployment conditions sit below most comparable ZIP areas measured: unemployment is 8.9% and the Opportunity signal places 06708 in the bottom 2%. The unemployment rate is published for Waterbury, CT, which contains 06708, rather than for 06708 alone.
In the public schools here, 20% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 13.1 students for every teacher.
Rent takes 32% of renter income here, above the 30% threshold conventionally called cost-burdened, and the median home is 2.5 times what its owners earn.
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 Waterbury, CT, which contains 06708, is 8.9% — higher than in all but 1% of the 3,127 measured US ZIP areas.
Employment across Waterbury, CT, which contains 06708, fell 4.2% over the past year, to 47,567 employed residents.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsNaugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $65,896 | 45th percentileof 2,996 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftNaugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $69,921 | 52nd percentileof 2,996 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$8,0422024 ACS 5-Year | $67,364 | Bottom 43%of 31,049 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$2,9182024 ACS 5-Year | $34,563 | Bottom 43%of 32,822 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 16.4% | Bottom 26%of 32,846 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±2.2 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 29.6 min | Bottom 40%of 32,887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 22.2% | Bottom 47%of 33,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 74.1% | 43rd percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentWaterbury, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | 47,567 | Top 50%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)Waterbury, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | −5.3% | Bottom 3%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)Waterbury, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | −4.2% | Bottom 3%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceWaterbury, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | 52,214 | 51st percentileof 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 78.7% | Top 48%of 32,883 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Mean annual wageWaterbury-Shelton, CT Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $69,080 | Top 38%of 2,760 | 2025 OEWS |
| Median annual wageWaterbury-Shelton, CT Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $51,440 | Top 36%of 2,760 | 2025 OEWS |
| Public transit to work ±0.8%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.8% | 86th percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)Waterbury, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | +2.4% | Bottom 1%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateWaterbury, CT’s figureJuly 2026 | 8.9% | Bottom 1%of 3,127 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 10.3% | 53rd percentileof 32,798 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Median household income, successive ACS releases
Largest occupations — Waterbury-Shelton, CT
| Occupation | People employed | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 6,360 | $37,690 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,860 | $34,850 |
| Cashiers | 3,450 | $35,100 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,430 | $37,890 |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,370 | $130,900 |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,310 | $35,360 |
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 Waterbury, CT, the city containing this ZIP code.
20% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 36% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 13.1 students for every full-time teacher across 8 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy High School | Waterbury School District | 1,391 | 14.3 | 10% | 25% |
| West Side Middle School | Waterbury School District | 848 | 10.7 | 9% | 26% |
| W. F. Kaynor Technical High School | Connecticut Technical Education and Career System | 831 | 11.7 | 22% | 52% |
| B. W. Tinker School | Waterbury School District | 578 | 16.1 | 24% | 32% |
| ACES at Chase | Area Cooperative Educational Services | 556 | 13.6 | 41% | 50% |
| Carrington School | Waterbury School District | 455 | 13.4 | 33% | 46% |
| Bunker Hill School | Waterbury School District | 445 | 14.8 | 20% | 29% |
| Duggan School | Waterbury School District | 429 | 12.3 | 29% | 42% |
71.9% 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 1% above the national average — the Bureau of Economic Analysis index reads 101.0, 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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT Metro Area is up 55% over five years, and up 3.9% 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 $5,815 a year in real estate taxes, about 2.66% of the median home value.
The typical renter household here spends 32% of its income on rent, above the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $1,313 a month.
A median home at $218,500 costs 2.5 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $86,045, close to the historic benchmark for an affordable market.
Prices here run about 1% above the national average. The spread between places is driven mostly by housing — goods vary far less — and this excludes taxes.
Published for the Waterbury-Shelton, 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 06708’s median household income of $67,364, 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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT Metro Area’s figure2023 | 101.0 | Bottom 42%of 2,737 | 2023 |
| Home price change (1 year)the Waterbury-Shelton, CT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +3.9% | 67th percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the Waterbury-Shelton, CT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +55.2% | 88th percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the Waterbury-Shelton, CT Metro Area’s figure2026 Q2 | +94.6% | 48th percentileof 3,071 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.22024 ACS 5-Year | 2.5 | Top 43%of 29,275 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 59.3% | 15th percentileof 32,750 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±6152024 ACS 5-Year | 12,957 | 89th percentileof 33,460 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent ±$772024 ACS 5-Year | $1,313 | Bottom 29%of 26,396 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$12,7182024 ACS 5-Year | $218,500 | 50th percentileof 30,812 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$2302024 ACS 5-Year | $5,815 | 91st percentileof 28,935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$3,5382024 ACS 5-Year | $86,045 | Top 46%of 29,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.19%2024 ACS 5-Year | 2.66% | 99th percentileof 24,099 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 31.8% | Bottom 31%of 26,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±1112024 ACS 5-Year | 106 | 76th percentileof 33,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.8% | 47th percentileof 32,961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 7.1% | 51st percentileof 32,788 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±2762024 ACS 5-Year | 1,025 | 88th 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.
79% of the 116 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 Waterbury, CT, which contains 06708, rather than for 06708 alone.
At 1.0 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is below the median for measured US ZIP areas. The permit rate is published for Waterbury, CT, which contains 06708, rather than for 06708 alone.
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Capitol Planning Region, CT 2,914 people · 15% of arrivals
- Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT 2,784 people · 15% of arrivals
- South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT 2,715 people · 14% of arrivals
- Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT 1,990 people · 11% of arrivals
- Bronx County, NY 1,099 people · 5.8% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Capitol Planning Region, CT 3,216 people · 18% of departures
- South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT 2,326 people · 13% of departures
- Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT 1,309 people · 7.5% of departures
- Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT 1,003 people · 5.8% of departures
- Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT 1,001 people · 5.8% 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 Naugatuck Valley 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 Waterbury, 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 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 earthquake, with inland flooding alone responsible for 72% of it.
Low or minimal exposure: strong wind, winter weather, lightning, tornado, cold wave, hail, drought, wildfire, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity, avalanche.
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. Waterbury 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
8 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest Bradley Intl at 33 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±7%2024 ACS 5-Year | 89.6% | Top 49%of 32,663 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 33 mi | Bottom 26%of 3,127 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 8 | Top 6%of 3,127 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 8.6% | Bottom 46%of 32,663 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Intl | BDL | 33 mi | 9,510 ft |
| Westfield-Barnes Rgnl | BAF | 46 mi | 9,000 ft |
| Westover ARB/Metro | CEF | 52 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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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 |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| 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 October 8, 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.
06708 vs Waterbury
How this ZIP area compares with Waterbury 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.