Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
New London earns a D, 144th of 151 graded towns in Connecticut, mostly because of schools and incomes. Its schools rank behind 96% of the state's. The median household income is $59K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is among the most walkable places in the country. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 100% of U.S. towns, with 42 places on the National Register. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in New London, above both the Connecticut town median (5.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Its National Register listings include Monte Cristo Cottage and Fort Trumbull. Only 7 of Connecticut’s 174 towns score lower on health.
Where New London beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Monte Cristo Cottage| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Multicultural Magnet School | K–5 | 469 |
| Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School | PK–5 | 449 |
| Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School | PK–5 | 445 |
Monte Cristo Cottage is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 42 National Register listings are more than in 98% of Connecticut towns with a listing.
Census counts: 5,150 in 1800, a low of 3,238 in 1810, 27,367 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1760 and 6 maps from 1892 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Connecticut), ordered by how far New London is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around New London. Close and well known come first.
11 mi Stadium & arenaMohegan Sun Arena
7 mi MuseumMystic Seaport
19 mi State parkGillette Castle State Park
4 mi MuseumSubmarine Force Library and Museum150K visitors a year
in town LandmarkFort Trumbull
2 mi MuseumFort GriswoldMohegan Sun Arena: Bbjeter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mystic Seaport: Joethon, Public domain · Gillette Castle State Park: Original uploader was Kevinpepin at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Submarine Force Library and Museum: Flickr user : https://www.flickr.com/photos/divemasterking2000, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Trumbull: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Griswold: Staxringold at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in New London, 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 New London.
New London is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Groton and other neighbors, but it reports violent crime at about twice the Connecticut rate.
Its public schools are run by the New London School District. Two of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional Multicultural Magnet SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 469 | C− |
| New London High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 605 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CT on state tests and graduation
36% of households own their home in New London. Typical home values rose 5.9% in the year to September 2026.
| New London | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 36% | 81% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 53% | 50% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,340 a month | $1,451 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
9.4 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. New London’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Connecticut College Arboretum, 95 acres with 2.9 miles of trail.
| New London | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.4% | 14% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Connecticut College Arboretum | 2.9 mi | 95 |
| 2. Ocean Beach Park | 2 mi | 30 |
| 3. Bates Woods Park | 1.5 mi | 92 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
New London has chilly winters and pleasant summers. The July high in New London is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
New London has about as many jobs (11,139) as working residents, but only 1,911 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 19.2 minutes, against 26.5 across Connecticut.
Most working residents leave New London for work: only 18% work in town. Among 155 Connecticut towns, just 1 have a lower average trip to work than New London. Since 2013, New London has lost 1,600 jobs, to 11,139 in 2023.
| New London | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $109,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 11% | 8% |
| Work from home | 12% | 16% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 8,685 U.S. towns with household incomes like New London’s, it is healthier than 62%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
19% of New London adults report frequent mental distress. Only 4 of the 154 Connecticut towns we compare have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than New London. 36% of New London adults feel lonely.
| New London | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 8.8% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 22% | 25% |
| What stands out | New London | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.9% | 8.5% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 32.6% | 38.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.7% | 9.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Violent crime runs at 2.2 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Connecticut rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its C+. At 21.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 76% of Connecticut’s graded towns.
Only 5 of the 90 Connecticut towns we compare have a higher violent crime rate than New London.
| New London | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.8 per 1,000 residents | 9.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
139 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 17 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 139 flood insurance claims have been paid out in New London.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4 within 15 miles of the center of New London
About 13 of every 100 New London residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.
3 colleges in town.
42 places in New London on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Connecticut, United States
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The city is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. New London is home to the United States Coast Guard Academy, Connecticut College, Mitchell College, and The Williams School. The Coast Guard Station New London and New London Harbor is home port to both the Coast Guard's cutter Coho and their tall ship Eagle. The city had a population of 27,367 at the 2020 census. The Norwich–New London metropolitan area includes 21 towns and 274,055 people.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with New London.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Groton (C+) is closest.
| Town | CT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New London | #144 | D | D | C+ | D− | C+ |
| Waterford | #92 | B | C− | B | B− | A− |
| Groton | #97 | B− | D | B+ | C+ | A− |
| Groton | #120 | C+ | D | B+ | C+ | B |
| Conning Towers-Nautilus Park | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Conning Towers-Nautilus Park isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare New London with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
New London grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #144 of 151 in Connecticut. It grades C+ for health, C+ for safety and D− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
