Compare towns
Norwich vs Preston vs Upton vs West Haven
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Norwich has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
Preston has the most homeowners (91.7%).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
West Haven has the youngest population (median age 35.8).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Norwich | Preston | Upton | West Haven |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 39,973 |
4,821Lowest |
8,189 |
55,351Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
0% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.5±1.7 about the U.S. average |
46.2±7 19% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S. |
35.8±1.5Lowest 8% below U.S. |
| Upton and Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.3%±1.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Upton and Norwich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 16.9%±1.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
23%±4.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
16%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Preston and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
13.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $65,024±$5kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$116,648±$27k 44% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$74,382±$5k 8% below U.S. |
| Upton and Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,300±$11kLowest 27% below U.S. |
$361,900±$13k 9% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$291,700±$9k 12% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,253±$68 11% below U.S. |
$1,433±$1k about the U.S. average |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,442±$43Highest about the U.S. average |
| West Haven and Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,703Lowest 51% above U.S. |
$4,749 52% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$6,941 123% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.2%±7.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.6%±12.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31 U.S.: 51.1% |
53.4%±5.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Norwich and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 16.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
14.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
91.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
50.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1957Lowest 23 yrs older than U.S. |
1970 10 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1959 21 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
22 minLowest 16% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.3%±6 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.2%±1.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #133 of 149 in CT | #93 of 149 in CT | #46 of 282 in MA | #120 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Norwich School District | Preston School District | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | New Haven School District · West Haven School District |
| High school in town | Norwich Free Academy | None in town | Blackstone Valley | West Haven High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8 |
— | 11.2Lowest |
15.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.