What stands out worked out from the figures below

Waterbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.7%).

New Britain has the shortest commute (22 min average).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Waterbury	New Britain
People
Population	114,869Highest	74,223Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.7%Highest CT: +0.9%	+1.3%Lowest CT: +0.9%
Median age	37.8±1.3Highest 8% below CT	34.3±1.2Lowest 17% below CT
Kids under 18	23.2%±1.2Highest CT: 20.2%	22%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2%
	Waterbury and New Britain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.3%±0.9Highest CT: 18.5%	14.6%±1.1Lowest CT: 18.5%
	Waterbury and New Britain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	17.3%Lowest CT: 42.5%	19.6%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.8%±0.7Lowest CT: 7.1%	9.4%±1Highest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$51,886±$2kLowest 46% below CT	$58,613±$2kHighest 39% below CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$208,500±$6kLowest 43% below CT	$223,600±$6kHighest 39% below CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,225±$38Lowest 18% below CT	$1,253±$45Highest 16% below CT
	New Britain and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,449Lowest 18% below CT	$5,846Highest 12% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	58.6%±4.2Highest CT: 52.6%	55.2%±4.6Lowest CT: 52.6%
	Waterbury and New Britain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	24.7%Highest CT: 10%	18.1%Lowest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	47.2%Highest CT: 66.5%	45.1%Lowest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1959Highest 8 yrs older than CT	1956Lowest 11 yrs older than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minHighest 6% above CT	22 minLowest 19% below CT
Work from home	8.3%±1.3Highest CT: 16%	8%±1.4Lowest CT: 16%
	Waterbury and New Britain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#144 of 149 in CT	#149 of 149 in CT
School district	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Area Cooperative Educational Services	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Capitol Region Education Council
High school in town	Crosby High School	New Britain High School
Students per teacherat that high school	17.0Highest	16.2Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

CT 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.