Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
East Haddam grades A− overall, ranked 49th of 151 in Connecticut, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $108K. It also does better than most on schools: its public schools beat 63% of Connecticut towns on state tests and graduation. A typical home there costs about $442K, 4.6 years of the Hartford metro’s $95K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 13 places on the National Register. 26% of the land in East Haddam is conserved, above both Connecticut’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Its National Register listings include Seventh Sister and Goodspeed Opera House. East Haddam's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Where East Haddam beats most towns.
Goodspeed Opera House
Census counts: 2,749 in 1790, a low of 2,114 in 1930, 8,875 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1816 and 5 maps from 1893 on.
13 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Connecticut), ordered by how far East Haddam is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around East Haddam. Close and well known come first.
4 mi State parkGillette Castle State Park
16 mi Stadium & arenaMohegan Sun Arena
25 mi Stadium & arenaPeoplesBank Arena
32 mi Stadium & arenaYale Bowl
30 mi Theme parkLake Compounce
23 mi Stadium & arenaPratt & Whitney StadiumGillette Castle State Park: Original uploader was Kevinpepin at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Mohegan Sun Arena: Bbjeter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PeoplesBank Arena: PeoplesBank Arena, CC BY 2.5 · Yale Bowl: Kenneth Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Compounce: Wildcat1 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Pratt & Whitney Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in East Haddam, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in East Haddam.
East Haddam is a second-home town and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Connecticut.
120 miles of trail in 62 parks and preserves. East Haddam’s trail density is 2.1 miles per square mile, above both the Connecticut town median (1.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Devil's Hopyard State Park, at 883 acres with 13.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Devil's Hopyard State Park | 13.7 mi | 883 |
| 2. Playground Trails | 7.1 mi | 164 |
| 3. Machimoodus State Park | 5.9 mi | 298 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the East Haddam School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Hale-Ray Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 346 | B+ |
| Nathan Hale-Ray High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 262 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CT on state tests and graduation
Within Connecticut it is healthier than 54% of the 154 graded towns: Connecticut sets a high bar. Its widest gap with Connecticut is food insecurity: 8.1% of its 4,861 adults worry about having enough food, against 14.9% statewide.
28% of East Haddam adults feel lonely. East Haddam beats the Connecticut average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 83% of East Haddam adults had a checkup this year.
| East Haddam | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 19% |
| What stands out | East Haddam | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.1% | 14.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.5% | 10% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave East Haddam for work: only 13% work in town. East Haddam’s average trip to work is 30 minutes. Jobs based in East Haddam grew to 1,523 in 2023, 120 more than in 2013.
| East Haddam | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 18% | 15% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.4% | 5.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $108,000 | $109,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
East Haddam has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 20° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
15.2% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 1.8% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
People 65 and older are 26% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). The median age in East Haddam is 50 years. 38% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 43% across Connecticut.
| East Haddam | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50 years | 44.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 17% | 19% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 45% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.9 points. Across Connecticut, 50.9% of residents are women.
| East Haddam | CT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.7% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 9.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.3% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.8% | 14.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.9% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.7% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.7% | 8.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.5% | 25.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.7% | 16.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.1% | 7.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.1% | 23.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13% | 19.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 38 flood insurance claims have been paid out in East Haddam.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
89% of households own their home in East Haddam. Typical home values rose 4.9% in the year to September 2026.
| East Haddam | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,242 a month | $1,451 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of East Haddam
About 5 of every 100 East Haddam residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.
Where East Haddam’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
13 places in East Haddam on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in East Haddam.
Town in Connecticut, United States
East Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The population was 8,875 at the time of the 2020 census. It includes summer resorts, historical sites, and natural areas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with East Haddam.
| Town | CT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Haddam | #49 | A− | C+ | — | B | A |
| Haddam | #62 | B+ | D | — | A− | A+ |
| East Hampton | #41 | A− | C | A | B | A |
| Colchester | #73 | B+ | C− | — | B | A |
| Lyme | — | — | C− | — | A | A |
| Chester | #86 | B | D | — | B+ | A− |
| Salem | #36 | A− | C− | — | A | A |
Lyme has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. East Haddam, Haddam, Colchester, Lyme, Chester and Salem report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare East Haddam with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. East Haddam grades A− overall, better than 76% of U.S. towns and #49 of 151 in Connecticut. It grades A for health and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
15 notable people were born here, including Morgan Bulkeley and David J. Baker.
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