New Haven County · Connecticut · Northeast · 115k residents
Waterbury, CT: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Waterbury: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Connecticut median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Waterbury is $208,500, 27% below the Connecticut median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,264/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 93 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $51,886 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Waterbury is $208,500, 27.4% below the median for ACS-covered places in Connecticut.
- Household income: Median household income is $51,886, 34.4% below the median for ACS-covered places in Connecticut.
- Adult education: 17.3% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.1% below the median for ACS-covered places in Connecticut.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 4.0 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A Brass City where industrial history, immigrant neighborhoods, and a growing arts scene meet.
Known for: Brass manufacturing, Mattatuck Museum, historic architecture, and regional access.
Calendar note: Zig Zag Festival and Brass City Brew Festival are local anchors.
Story source: Waterbury Regional Chamber
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Waterbury about 21 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 180 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 26 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Waterbury side by side
Cost of living index
93
ACS median home value
$208,500
2-bedroom rent
$1,264/mo
Median household income
$51,886
Housing momentum
How fast Waterbury's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
63/100
Steady
Ranks Waterbury's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Waterbury's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $208,500 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $230 |
| Property tax rate | 1.8% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $940/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,264/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.91% |
| Sales tax | 6.35% |
| Cost of living index | 93 |
| Groceries index | 106 |
| Utilities | $245/mo |
| Transit pass | $75/mo |
| Gas price | $3.35/gal |
| Healthcare index | 105 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,350/mo |
| Median household income | $51,886 |
| Unemployment rate | 4% |
| Population | 115k |
| Crime index | 27/100 |
| School rating | 7.8/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 93/100 |
| Avg. commute | 26 min |
| Sunny days / year | 180 days |
| July high | 84°F |
| January low | 19°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +3.0% |
| Home price MoM | +0.3% |
| Rent YoY | +2.4% |
| Rent MoM | +0.1% |
| Ocean coast | 23 mi |
| Big lake | 21 mi |
| Mountains | 75 mi |
| Major airport | 33 mi |
| Ski resort | 70 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Naugatuck, CT · 32k
- Bristol, CT · 61k
- Meriden, CT · 61k
- Wallingford Center, CT · 18k
- Ansonia, CT · 19k
Similar size
- Hartford, CT · 121k
- New Haven, CT · 134k
- Stamford, CT · 137k
- Norwalk, CT · 92k
- Danbury, CT · 87k
Real listings in Waterbury
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Waterbury, CT?
- Waterbury indexes at 93 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,264/mo and a acs median home value of $208,500.
- How much does a house cost in Waterbury?
- The acs median home value in Waterbury is $208,500, 27% below the Connecticut median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Waterbury?
- A two-bedroom in Waterbury rents for about $1,264/mo.