Waterbury, Connecticut Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Waterbury, 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Waterbury | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 110,409 | 3,347,044 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3810.0 | 603.7 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.52% | -0.35% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 42.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 43,924 | 1,316,506 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Waterbury grew by 14.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 110,409 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Waterbury is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.2% of residents. That is 2.0 points above Connecticut as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 24,497 22.2% +2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 23,608 21.4% +0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 23,193 21.0% -1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 16,029 14.5% -4.0 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 52.3% of the people living in Waterbury and men 47.7%.
- Women 52.3% Connecticut 51.0%
- Men 47.7% Connecticut 49.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Waterbury
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Waterbury has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Waterbury | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,955 | $97,098 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.12% | 3.67% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.6% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Waterbury is about 46% lower than in Connecticut.
Housing
| Metric | Waterbury | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $241,543 | $281,244 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,214 | $1,481 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 47.8% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Waterbury is about 16.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,214 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Waterbury spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 181 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Waterbury | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.8 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.5 | 44.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 181 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,621 | $5,704 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.0% | 16.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,121 | 10,657 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,968 | 1,748 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Waterbury is about the same as 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
Waterbury has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Waterbury | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.1% | 38.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 2.47 | 2.53 |
Health
Waterbury has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Waterbury | Connecticut Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 80.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.2% | 12.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.4% | 15.2% | 19.0% |
Waterbury, CT Compared With Nearby Cities
How Waterbury, CT compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterbury, CT | 110,409 | $51,955 #2/2 | $241,543 #1/2 | 21.8 min #1/2 |
| Naugatuck, CT | 31,800 | $97,335 | $225,000 | 27.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Waterbury, Connecticut.
How big is Waterbury, Connecticut by population?
About 110,409 people live in Waterbury, Connecticut, in 43,924 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 35.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Waterbury, Connecticut?
Averaged over its land area, Waterbury, Connecticut has 3,810 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 44 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Waterbury, Connecticut?
The median home costs 4.6 times the median household income ($241,543 against $51,955), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,214 a month takes about 28% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Waterbury, Connecticut?
Unemployment in Waterbury, Connecticut is 8.6%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Waterbury, Connecticut?
15.1% of adults in Waterbury, Connecticut hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →