Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above average
-
B
Income Around average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 163,295 | 3,347,044 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 315.6 | 603.7 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.72% | -0.35% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.6 | 42.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 67,493 | 1,316,506 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region declined by 6.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 163,295 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.8% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Connecticut as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 29,603 18.1% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 31,591 19.3% -1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 38,871 23.8% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 34,898 21.4% +2.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Connecticut, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.1% of the people living in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Connecticut 51.0%
- Men 48.9% Connecticut 49.0%
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100% of everyone living in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
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Economy
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $107,450 | $97,098 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.71% | 3.67% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region is about 11% higher than in Connecticut.
Housing
| Metric | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $222,692 | $281,244 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,378 | $1,481 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.2% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region is about 13.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,378 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 190 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.8 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.6 | 44.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 190 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,890 | $5,704 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.9% | 16.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,306 | 10,657 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,592 | 1,748 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Connecticut:
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region (20.6 min), South Central Connecticut Planning Region (20.9 min), Capitol Planning Region (21.4 min).
Slowest:
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region (26.0 min), Greater Bridgeport Planning Region (23.9 min), Naugatuck Valley Planning Region (23.5 min).
The average commute time in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Connecticut.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.9% | 38.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 2.47 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Connecticut:
Western Connecticut Planning Region (0.4), Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region (0.4), Capitol Planning Region (0.3).
Lowest:
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region (0.3), Naugatuck Valley Planning Region (0.3), Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region (0.3).
Health
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 80.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.2% | 12.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.9% | 15.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Connecticut:
Western Connecticut Planning Region (0.8), Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region (0.8), Northwest Hills Planning Region (0.8).
Lowest:
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region (0.8), South Central Connecticut Planning Region (0.8), Capitol Planning Region (0.8).
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT Compared With Nearby Counties
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 163,295 residents against a local median of 516,000. The measure that sets Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT apart most is median household income: $107,450, 17% above the local median of $91,696. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $44,558 on median household income, so Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT has the 2nd highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT | 163,295 | $107,450 #2/6 | $222,692 #6/6 | 22.8 min #4/6 |
| South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 516,000 | $91,696 | $233,101 | 20.9 min |
| Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 252,265 | $86,956 | $291,357 | 20.6 min |
| Capitol Planning Region, CT | 920,648 | $94,231 | $232,901 | 21.4 min |
| Suffolk County, NY | 1,451,500 | $131,515 | $526,704 | 25.5 min |
| Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT | 439,566 | $87,330 | $244,999 | 23.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut.
How many people live in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut?
About 163,295 people live in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut, in 67,493 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 46.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut has 316 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut?
The median home costs 2.1 times the median household income ($222,692 against $107,450), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,378 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut?
Unemployment in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut is only 4.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut?
41.9% of adults in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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