New Haven, CT
Metro Area Profile
570,598 residents. Jobs, income, development, climate and physical risk across the New Haven, CT metropolitan area.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 11 sourcesEmployment conditions sit below most comparable metro and micro areas measured: unemployment is 5.9% and the Opportunity signal places New Haven in the bottom 24%.
783 housing units were authorized over the past twelve months, within 9% of the prior year — steady rather than turning.
Rent takes 32% of renter income here, above the 30% threshold conventionally called cost-burdened, and the median home is 2.9 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 of 5.9% — higher than in all but 8% of the 835 measured US metro and micro areas.
Employment fell 4.0% over the past year, to 285,826 employed residents.
42% of adults hold a four-year degree, higher than 93% of measured US metro and micro areas.
Median household income of $88,197 is higher than in 91% of measured US metro and micro areas.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income ±$1,6922024 ACS 5-Year | $88,197 | Top 9%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$7452024 ACS 5-Year | $49,766 | Top 6%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±0.6%2024 ACS 5-Year | 10.5% | Top 26%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±0.4 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 25.2 min | Bottom 37%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±0.8%2024 ACS 5-Year | 42.0% | Top 7%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±0.8%2024 ACS 5-Year | 69.4% | 11th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentJuly 2026 | 285,826 | Top 12%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)July 2026 | −4.5% | Bottom 10%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)July 2026 | −4.0% | Bottom 6%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceJuly 2026 | 303,898 | 88th percentileof 835 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±0.5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 82.4% | Top 12%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Mean annual wage2025 OEWS | $75,620 | Top 5%of 392 | 2025 OEWS |
| Median annual wage2025 OEWS | $60,060 | Top 5%of 392 | 2025 OEWS |
| Metro employment2025 OEWS | 281,410 | 77th percentileof 392 | 2025 OEWS |
| Public transit to work ±0.3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 3.0% | 97th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)July 2026 | +1.4% | Bottom 1%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateJuly 2026 | 5.9% | Bottom 8%of 835 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±0.7%2024 ACS 5-Year | 14.3% | 86th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Unemployment rate
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.
40% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 53% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 12.2 students for every full-time teacher across 147 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Haven High School | West Haven School District | 1,813 | 15.6 | 17% | 46% |
| Wilbur Cross High School | New Haven School District | 1,742 | 13.7 | 9% | 30% |
| Hamden High School | Hamden School District | 1,609 | 13.5 | 33% | 55% |
| Amity Regional High School | Regional School District 05 | 1,347 | 11.1 | 63% | 81% |
| Francis T. Maloney High School | Meriden School District | 1,291 | 16.3 | 14% | 40% |
| Orville H. Platt High School | Meriden School District | 1,191 | 17.5 | 10% | 38% |
| James Hillhouse High School | New Haven School District | 1,124 | 13.4 | 3% | 17% |
| Amistad Academy · charter | Amistad Academy District | 1,105 | 10.8 | 47% | 55% |
| Guilford High School | Guilford School District | 1,008 | 11.9 | 68% | 85% |
| North Haven High School | North Haven School District | 944 | 11.1 | 38% | 66% |
| Lyman Hall High School | Wallingford School District | 936 | 10.5 | 39% | 70% |
| Harry M. Bailey Middle School | West Haven School District | 885 | 10.1 | 39% | 47% |
51.3% 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 this 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 $6,759 a year in real estate taxes, about 1.91% 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 $1,525 a month.
A median home at $353,100 costs 2.9 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $122,844, 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.
Price level for all consumption in this metropolitan area against a national average of 100. Housing dominates the spread between places; goods vary far less.
The figures above are measured against New Haven’s median household income of $88,197, 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 index2023 | 105.4 | Bottom 9%of 386 | 2023 |
| Home price change (1 year)2026 Q2 | +6.0% | 83rd percentileof 372 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)2026 Q2 | +54.9% | 85th percentileof 372 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)2026 Q2 | +91.2% | 43rd percentileof 372 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.12024 ACS 5-Year | 2.9 | Bottom 38%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±0.9%2024 ACS 5-Year | 60.5% | 9th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±1872024 ACS 5-Year | 248,267 | 89th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent ±$242024 ACS 5-Year | $1,525 | Bottom 8%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$3,8432024 ACS 5-Year | $353,100 | 83rd percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$622024 ACS 5-Year | $6,759 | 99th percentileof 933 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$2,5432024 ACS 5-Year | $122,844 | Top 4%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.03%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.91% | 95th percentileof 932 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±0.9%2024 ACS 5-Year | 31.9% | Bottom 17%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±4902024 ACS 5-Year | 3,613 | 77th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.5% | 40th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 5.6% | 25th percentileof 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±1,1702024 ACS 5-Year | 17,594 | 85th percentileof 935 | 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.
Population has grown 2% since 2020, reaching 576,718 in 2024.
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.
At 1.4 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is below the median for measured US metro and micro areas.
Population, annual estimates
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 23°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 41.8 inches.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 41.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 23°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 | 43°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. This value is the population-weighted mean of all component counties; expected annual loss is their sum. 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. City profiles inside this area carry their own figure where their 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, so a metropolitan area carries none of its own. The county profiles inside it do.
- Air quality
- The EPA publishes an air-quality index by county, and only where a monitor sits, so a metropolitan area carries none of its own. The county profiles inside it show it where one exists.
- 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 46 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±0.5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 92.4% | Top 13%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 46 mi | Bottom 43%of 835 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 7 | Top 6%of 835 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±0.4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 5.4% | Top 15%of 935 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Intl | BDL | 46 mi | 9,510 ft |
| Westfield-Barnes Rgnl | BAF | 60 mi | 9,000 ft |
| Westover ARB/Metro | CEF | 64 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.
Customize your score
What matters to you?
Choose what you weight most heavily. Nothing is saved to an account — your preferences stay in this browser, and the Area Score never changes.
Select one or more priorities to see how this location scores against them.
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) |
| 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 |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| 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.