New Haven grades D− overall, 148th of 151 graded towns in Connecticut, mostly because of schools and safety. Its public schools trail 94% of Connecticut towns on state tests and graduation. Its crime rate is higher than 92% of U.S. towns, with 554 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. What it does well: few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 100% of U.S. towns, with 71 places on the National Register. 24% of residents live below the poverty line in New Haven, above both Connecticut’s towns (5.8%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 4 of Connecticut’s 175 towns score lower on cost of living. Its National Register listings include Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and James Dwight Dana House.

StrongestA⁺History A⁺Walkability AOutdoorsWeakestD⁻Cost of living DSchools DSafety C⁻Jobs & income

What makes New Haven stand out

Where New Haven beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

HistoryA⁺

Settled in 1638

A history going back 388 years.

WalkabilityA⁺

More walkable than 99% of U.S. towns

21.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transit

EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.

New Haven School District

School	Grades	Students
Fair Haven School	PK–8	734
Ross/Woodward School	PK–8	562
John C. Daniels	PK–8	522

Worth knowing · SchoolsD

On state tests and graduation

NCES · EDFacts.

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station · National Register of Historic Places

New Haven’s story

388 years in pictures

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station is one of 9 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1638, comes before those of 96% of the Connecticut towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 4,487 in 1790, 134,023 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1810 and 7 maps from 1892 on.

71 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1638New Haven is settled

Explore the history →

How New Haven grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Connecticut), ordered by how far New Haven is from typical.

How grading works

WalkabilityEPA walkability 13.9 of 20; 26.9% of households have no carA⁺Open →Cost of livingD⁻Open →SchoolsDOpen →SafetyDOpen →Jobs & incomeC⁻Open →HealthYale-New Haven Hospital 0 miles awayC⁺Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC⁺Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors8% conserved landAOpen →History39 notable people born hereA⁺Open →Civic life2.9 library visits per resident; 5.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB⁻Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market49 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 31.9; 39% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Yale Bowl and 81 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around New Haven. Close and well known come first.

All 204 attractions →

in town Stadium & arenaYale Bowl

in town MuseumYale University Art Gallery

in town MuseumYale Center for British Art

in town MuseumYale Peabody Museum

23 mi Theme parkLake Compounce

in town Stadium & arenaIngalls Rink

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Yale Bowl: Kenneth Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yale University Art Gallery: Ragesoss, Public domain · Yale Center for British Art: Sage Ross, Public domain · Yale Peabody Museum: No machine-readable author provided. Ragesoss assumed (based on copyright claims, Public domain · Lake Compounce: Wildcat1 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Ingalls Rink: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain

Getting set up

Moving to New Haven: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in New Haven, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerEversource28.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterRegional Water AuthorityNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNew Haven Transfer StationIn townOpenStreetMap

SchoolsNew Haven School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Connecticut you can register online until 18 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 18 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereNew Haven Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Mar 2024

ZIP codes06511, 06513, 06515, 0651906511 42% · 06513 24% · 06515 13% · 06519 12%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in New Haven.

New Haven draws workers from Hamden and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it reports violent crime at 4 times the Connecticut rate.

OutdoorsA

New Haven has set aside 8.5% of its land for conservation

53 miles of trail in 72 parks and preserves. The trail density in New Haven is 2.7 miles per square mile. Yale Nature Preserve, at 310 acres with 5.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.

#15for trails in CT

	New Haven	Connecticut towns	U.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile	2.7 miles per square mile	1.3	0.4
Conserved land	8.5%	14%	4.3%

8.5%

conserved · 1,090 of 12,815 acres

53 mi

of trails · 2.7 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. West Rock Ridge State Park	8.8 mi	297
2. Yale Nature Preserve	5.8 mi	310
3. East Rock Park	5.8 mi	186

Full pageNew Haven’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map53 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk8.8 miles of trail · West Rock Ridge State Park Conserved land8.5% conserved · 1,090 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in New Haven?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SchoolsD

For schools, New Haven earns a D

Each of its 6 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its D, Woodbridge highest at A.

Its public schools are run by the New Haven School District. Three of its 54 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

6%of CT districts it outscoresDSchool Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Fair Haven SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8	Grades PK–8	734	D⁻
Wilbur Cross High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	1,742	C⁻
Worthington Hooker SchoolTop results in townGrades K–8	Grades K–8	420	A⁻

Full pageNew Haven’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsNew Haven School District Vs. the neighborsBehind its 6 graded neighbors Every school54 schools · Fair Haven School Questions“Are New Haven’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within CT on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C⁻

New Haven stands out in Connecticut and nationally: a larger share of its working residents work locally

92,955 jobs are based in New Haven, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.

43% of working residents work locally in New Haven. Jobs based in New Haven grew to 92,955 in 2023, 15,909 more than in 2013. New Haven’s median household income is $57,000.

43%work in town

	New Haven	Connecticut towns	U.S. towns
Working residents who work in town	43%	11%	8%
Median household income	$57,000	$109,000	$80,000
Average trip to work	22 minutes	27 minutes	25 minutes
Work from home	14%	16%	11%

Where working residents work

In New Haven43%

North Haven6%

Hamden4%

West Haven4%

Milford3%

4 mi

median commute distance

92,955

jobs based in New Haven

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

A+

Walkability grade: among the most walkable U.S. towns

Full pageNew Haven’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here92,955 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work43% work in New Haven Commute times22 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 4 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

SafetyD

Compared with most of Connecticut and the rest of the country, property crime in New Haven is higher

Violent crime runs at 4 per 1,000 residents, 4 times the Connecticut rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D. Each of the 6 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Hamden (D) to Woodbridge (B+).

Only 1 of the 90 Connecticut towns we compare have a higher property crime rate than New Haven. New Haven reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 92% report less. Only 2 of the 90 Connecticut towns we compare have a higher violent crime rate than New Haven.

8%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade

	New Haven	Connecticut towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	31 per 1,000 residents	9.6	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	4 per 1,000 residents	0.4	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

New Haven4

Connecticut1.1

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

New Haven31

Connecticut11.6

U.S.15.5

8th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

554

violent crimes reported in 2025

4,331

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageNew Haven’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type4 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsBehind its 6 graded neighbors Questions“Is New Haven, CT safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Who lives here

More young adults than Connecticut overall

23.9% of residents live below the poverty line, against 10% across Connecticut, which weighs on its C− for jobs and income. The median household earns $56,851, against $95,781 across Connecticut.

Adults 18 to 34 are 34% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 12% of residents (19% statewide). Among 155 Connecticut towns, just 1 have a lower median age than New Haven. New Haven has grown 3.6% since 2020, to 138,774 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.

31.9median age · CT 41.1

	New Haven	Connecticut towns	U.S. towns
Median age	31.9 years	44.4 years	40.5 years
Aged 65 or older	12%	20%	18%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	39%	45%	29%
Under 18	21%	19%	22%

New HavenConnecticutUnited States

CTU.S.

Ages · share of residents

19%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma13%

High school30%

Some college13%

Associate’s5%

Bachelor’s18%

Graduate21%

Women and men · all residents

52% women, 48% men

About 91 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1 point). Across Connecticut, 50.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 32.4, men 31.3.

Ages and education in New Haven
	New Haven	CT	U.S.
Under 10	11.2%	10.4%	11.6%
10 to 17	10.1%	9.8%	10.3%
18 to 24	14.8%	9.3%	9.1%
25 to 34	19.1%	12.6%	13.7%
35 to 44	13.2%	12.7%	13.2%
45 to 54	10.7%	12.5%	12.2%
55 to 64	9%	14.2%	12.7%
65 to 74	7.1%	10.7%	10.2%
75 and older	4.6%	7.8%	7%
No diploma	12.6%	8.5%	10.4%
High school	29.8%	25.3%	26%
Some college	13.3%	16.1%	19.1%
Associate’s	5.4%	7.6%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	18.3%	23.3%	21.6%
Graduate	20.6%	19.2%	14.1%

Full pageNew Haven by the numbersOpen the page

Ages31.9 median age · 12% are 65 or older Schooling39% have a four-year degree Homes28% own their home · Homeowners Income$57K a year · Median household income

Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

HousingCost of living grade D⁻

A typical New Haven home is worth about $337K

The typical New Haven home is worth about $337,000, up 6.5% in a year, 25% below the Connecticut typical home. 28% of New Haven households own their home.

$337KZillow home value

	New Haven	Connecticut towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	28%	81%	73%
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	57%	50%	48%
Median rent	$1,488 a month	$1,448 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

New Haven$337K

Connecticut$447K

Market temperature

days on market

103.6%

sale-to-list price

+6.5%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pageNew Haven’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 6.5% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 5.9 years of income Rents$1,488 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsBehind its 6 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Climate

In New Haven, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

New Haven has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 23° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.

34″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter25–41°

Spring40–59°

Summer64–82°

Fall47–64°

Oct 27

typical first frost

Apr 17

typical last frost

+1.8°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageNew Haven’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 84°, January lows 23°Rain & snow34″ of snow a winter · 47 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.8° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HealthC⁺

Residents of New Haven are less healthy than 62% of U.S. towns

Against the 7,969 U.S. towns with household incomes like New Haven’s, it is healthier than 66%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income. All 6 graded neighbors score healthier than its C+, from West Haven (B−) to Woodbridge (A+).

New Haven beats the Connecticut average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. Only 2 of the 154 Connecticut towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have obesity than New Haven.

39%healthier than U.S. townsC⁺Health Grade

	New Haven	Connecticut towns	U.S. towns
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)	27%	8.8%	14%
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)	39%	31%	33%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	42%	33%	36%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	33%	22%	25%

32 measures vs. Connecticut

3 better9 too close to call20 worse

What stands out	New Haven	CT
Fewer adults who have had cancer	4.8%	8.5%
Fewer adults with arthritis	20.3%	24.7%
More adults facing a utility shut-off	16.4%	8.4%

Yale-New Haven Hospital

In New Haven · emergency room

None

primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

4th

percentile among CT towns

Full pageNew Haven’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults who get no exercise Hospitals & doctors nearbyYale-New Haven Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than CT on 3 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C⁺

New Haven faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

313 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 45 properties have flooded more than once.

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 313 flood insurance claims have been paid out in New Haven.

56risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHurricanesEarthquakes

313

paid flood claims since 1978

Full pageNew Haven’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims313 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disastersPast disasters Get ready3.3 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about New Haven

20pages on New Haven

The big questions

SchoolsDBehind 94% of CT districts · 54 schools SafetyD4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC⁺Better than CT on 3 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingD⁻$337K typical home · up 6.5% in a year Work & commuteC⁻$57K median household income · 92,955 jobs here Natural hazardsC⁺FEMA risk higher than 56% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsA53 mi of trails · 8% conserved land PlacesAttractions204 nearby · Yale Bowl under 1 mi LibraryB⁻2.9 library visits per resident CollegesYale University, in town

The story

HistoryA⁺Settled 1638 · 71 on the National Register Famous people39 born in New Haven Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 24 residents Climate84° summer highs · 34″ of snow

Day to day

News9 recent stories about New Haven WeatherHandbookZIP code 06501, 06502, 06503 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

5 within 15 miles of the center of New Haven

Southern Connecticut State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · New HavenIn town$13,438 in-state tuition Yale UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · New HavenIn town$67,250 tuition Albertus Magnus CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · New HavenIn town$41,908 tuition

College town 15 of every 100 New Haven residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

15% of New Haven is in college

3 colleges in town.

Yale University15,025 students on campus

Admission: 4%
Net price: $23,777
Graduate: 96%

Southern Connecticut State University7,886 students on campus

Admission: 91%
Net price: $20,857
Graduate: 50%

Albertus Magnus College715 students on campus

Admission: 59%
Net price: $34,028
Graduate: 51%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

71 places in New Haven on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment StationNational Historic Landmark

Connecticut Hall, Yale UniversityNational Historic Landmark

James Dwight Dana HouseBuilt 1849 · National Historic Landmark

Othniel C. Marsh HouseNational Historic Landmark

Famous people from New Haven

39 notable people were born in New Haven.

See all 39 →

Josiah Willard GibbsAmerican scientist · 1839–1903

Paul GiamattiAmerican actor · born 1967

George AkerlofAmerican economist and Koshland Professor of Economics · born 1940

Vint CerfAmerican computer scientist · born 1943

Charles GoodyearAmerican inventor · 1800–1860

Craig MelloAmerican biologist · born 1960

About New Haven

City in Connecticut, United States

Official town website ↗

New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 134,023 at the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous city in Connecticut and the largest in the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, with the Greater New Haven metropolitan area having an estimated 577,000 residents. New Haven was one of the first planned cities in the U.S. A year after its founding by English Puritans in 1638, eight streets were laid out in a three-by-three grid, creating the "Nine Square Plan". The central common block is the New Haven Green, a 16-acre (6 ha) square at the center of Downtown New Haven. The Gree…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1638
Area: 20 sq mi
Elevation: 59 ft
ZIP code: 06501, 06502, 06503
Area code: 203, 475

New Haven’s neighbors

6 towns share a border with New Haven.

Explore the map →

All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D−; Hamden (C−) is closest.

West HavenEast HavenHamdenWoodbridgeNorth HavenOrangeNew Haven

West Haven

SW · 4% of New Haven workers commute here

Visit

East Haven

E · 2% of New Haven workers commute here

Visit

Hamden

N · 4% of New Haven workers commute here

Visit

Woodbridge

Visit

North Haven

NE · 6% of New Haven workers commute here

Visit

Orange

W · 2% of New Haven workers commute here

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	CT rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
New Haven	#148	D⁻	D⁻	D	D	C⁺
West Haven	#132	C⁻	D⁻	B	C⁻	B⁻
East Haven	#130	C⁻	C⁻	C⁺	C⁻	B⁻
Hamden	#133	C⁻	D	D	C⁻	A⁻
Woodbridge	#18	A	C⁻	B⁺	A	A⁺
North Haven	#84	B	D	C	B	A
Orange	#91	B	D	C⁻	A	A⁺

Compare New Haven with a neighbor →

Questions about New Haven

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is New Haven, CT a good place to live?

New Haven grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #148 of 151 in Connecticut. It grades C+ for health, D for safety and D for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is New Haven, CT expensive?

Yes. That is 5.2 years of the area's median household income ($64,797 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.

What is New Haven, CT known for?

39 notable people were born here, including Josiah Willard Gibbs and Paul Giamatti.

Post to New Haven

Check your email

New HavenCT

Is New Haven a good place to live?

What makes New Haven stand out

388 years in pictures

How New Haven grades

Yale Bowl and 81 more within 40 miles

Moving to New Haven: who provides what

The data

New Haven has set aside 8.5% of its land for conservation

For schools, New Haven earns a D

New Haven stands out in Connecticut and nationally: a larger share of its working residents work locally

Where working residents work

Compared with most of Connecticut and the rest of the country, property crime in New Haven is higher

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

More young adults than Connecticut overall

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

Women and men · all residents

A typical New Haven home is worth about $337K

Typical home value

In New Haven, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

Typical low → high °F

Residents of New Haven are less healthy than 62% of U.S. towns

New Haven faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

Everything we know about New Haven

Colleges nearby

15% of New Haven is in college

Landmarks

Famous people from New Haven

About New Haven

New Haven’s neighbors

Questions about New Haven