Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of contrasts. Its strongest is walkability: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 91% of U.S. towns. Groton grades B− overall and ranks 97th of 151 in Connecticut. On that grade it does better than 52% of U.S. towns. Add health to its strengths (A−): residents are healthier than 83% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Where it falls short is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $340K, 3.9 years of the Norwich metro’s $87K median household income. It lags on schools as well: its schools rank behind nearly two thirds of the state's. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 14 places on the National Register.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results.
Where Groton beats most towns.
U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine) is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 4,302 in 1800, a low of 2,953 in 1840, 38,411 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 6 maps from 1892 on.
14 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Connecticut), ordered by how far Groton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Groton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi MuseumThe Breakers
10 mi Stadium & arenaMohegan Sun Arena
39 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
4 mi MuseumMystic Seaport
38 mi MuseumMarble House
in town MuseumSubmarine Force Library and Museum150K visitors a yearThe Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mohegan Sun Arena: Bbjeter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Mystic Seaport: Joethon, Public domain · Marble House: [email protected], Public domain · Submarine Force Library and Museum: Flickr user : https://www.flickr.com/photos/divemasterking2000, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Groton, 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 Groton.
Groton draws workers from New London and beyond, has seen reported crime fall beyond ordinary swings and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Connecticut.
27,323 jobs are based in Groton, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 19.3 minutes, against 26.5 across Connecticut.
The share of residents in Groton who live below the poverty line is 11%. Since 2013, Groton has added 2,960 jobs, to 27,323 in 2023. Also worth knowing: among 155 Connecticut towns, just 2 have a lower average commute than Groton. In Groton, the typical household income is $88,000, below the Connecticut town median ($109,000) but above the median of U.S. towns ($80,000).
| Groton | Typical Connecticut town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 33% | 11% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 5.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $109,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Three of its 10 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Public schools: the Groton School District. 5 public schools serve Groton, with 2,127 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groton Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 884 | C+ |
| Robert E. Fitch High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 942 | B |
| Marine Science Magnet High SchoolTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 274 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CT on state tests and graduation
For Groton, the concentration of trails is 1.8 miles per square mile. There are 80 miles of trail across 71 parks and preserves. City of Groton Watershed Lands, at 1,315 acres with 5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bluff Point State Park | 19.9 mi | 781 |
| 2. Haley Farm State Park | 7.4 mi | 268 |
| 3. Candlewood Hill Wildlife Management Area | 7 mi | 200 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Within Connecticut it is less healthy than 66% of the 154 graded towns: Connecticut sets a high bar.
Groton: 12% of adults worry about having enough food, where Connecticut’s towns sit at 8.8% and U.S. towns at 14%. Among adults locally, 9.5% smoke cigarettes.
| Groton | Typical Connecticut town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.8% | 9.4% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 9.7% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 19% |
| What stands out | Groton | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12% | 14.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.9% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 294 to 254 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate here in Groton is 0.5 per 1,000 residents. The property offense rate in the town is 8.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Groton | Typical Connecticut town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.6 per 1,000 residents | 9.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expect chilly winters and pleasant summers in Groton. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 23° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 30% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (39% statewide). For Groton, the median age is 36.8 years. In Groton, 43% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Groton | Typical Connecticut town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.8 years | 44.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 18% | 19% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 45% | 29% |
47% women, 53% men
About 113 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.4 points). Across Connecticut, 50.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 40.8, men 33.7.
| Groton | CT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.6% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 9.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.1% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.4% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.9% | 14.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.7% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.8% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5% | 8.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.9% | 25.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.3% | 16.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.1% | 7.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24% | 23.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.8% | 19.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Groton’s FEMA hazard score is put at 37 of 100. It has had 105 paid flood insurance claims since 1978. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 54% come from inland flooding and 32% from hurricanes.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For households in Groton, the share who are owner-occupiers is 53%. In Groton, the rent at the middle of the market is $1,602 a month. Homes sold in Groton spent a median 28 days on the market.
| Groton | Typical Connecticut town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 53% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,602 a month | $1,448 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 46% | 50% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
4 within 15 miles of the center of Groton
About 5 of every 100 Groton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.
17.2% of the town is conserved land, across 71 parks and preserves.
14 places in Groton on the National Register of Historic Places.
23 notable people were born in Groton.
Town in New London County, Connecticut
Groton ( GRAH-tən) is a town in New London County, Connecticut, located on the Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. The Naval Submarine Base New London is located in Groton, and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer is also a major employer. Avery Point in Groton is home to a regional campus of the University of Connecticut. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 38,411 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Groton.
| Town | CT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groton | #97 | B− | D | B+ | C+ | A− |
| Stonington | #47 | A− | D | — | A− | A |
| Old Mystic | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Conning Towers-Nautilus Park | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New London | #144 | D | D | C+ | D− | C+ |
| Ledyard | #67 | B+ | D | A | B− | A |
| Groton | #120 | C+ | D | B+ | C+ | B |
| Mystic | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Stonington reports no FBI crime data of its own. Old Mystic, Conning Towers-Nautilus Park and Mystic aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Groton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Groton grades B− overall, better than 52% of U.S. towns and #97 of 151 in Connecticut. It grades A− for health, B+ for safety and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $340,000, 24% below the Connecticut typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
23 notable people were born here, including Pierre J. Thuot and Silas Deane.
