Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Voluntown costs more to live in than 58% of U.S. towns
It ranks #15 of 155 in Connecticut for affordability. Up 14.3% in a year, close to the Connecticut typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Putnam, CT micro area ($91K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Voluntown’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($91K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 22% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 43% of renters.
In dollars
- $450Ktypical home, 1% above the Connecticut typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,480a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.9 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$91K, Putnam-area income
- 15%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 22%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Voluntown
What’s behind Voluntown’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Voluntown is more affordable than 42% of U.S. towns, #15 of 155 in Connecticut. Property tax pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Values have outpaced Connecticut: the typical Voluntown home is up 54.5% in five years, against 41.1% statewide (Zillow).
Up 54.5% in five years
Faster than Connecticut (41.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Voluntown | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $202,000 | $245,000 |
| 2018 | $210,000 | $253,000 |
| 2019 | $221,000 | $255,000 |
| 2020 | $227,000 | $261,000 |
| 2021 | $261,000 | $289,000 |
| 2022 | $296,000 | $322,000 |
| 2023 | $331,000 | $353,000 |
| 2024 | $367,000 | $391,000 |
| 2025 | $386,000 | $415,000 |
| 2026 | $418,000 | $433,000 |
| September 2026 | $450,000 | $447,000 |
A typical Voluntown home worth $198K in October 2016 is worth about $450K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 3.9 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Voluntown’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $119K short of a typical Voluntown home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,480 a month here, $1,400 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Voluntown’s typical property tax (1.39% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,480
Renters already here pay a median of $1,166, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
10 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 10 new homes in Voluntown in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $3.6 million to build. That's 3.8 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Connecticut (2). Over the past 10 years, Voluntown has permitted 45 homes in all.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2025 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $3.6 million |
| 2024 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $421,000 |
| 2023 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2022 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2021 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $381,000 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $168,000 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $327,000 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $182,000 |
| 2016 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $732,000 |
| 2015 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $703,000 |
| 2014 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $528,000 |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $177,000 |
| 2012 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $295,000 |
| 2011 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $396,000 |
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $165,000 |
| 2009 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $580,000 |
| 2008 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2007 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2006 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2005 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2004 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2003 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2002 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2001 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2000 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $1.5 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Connecticut norm
The median bill is $4,955 (Connecticut: $6,643), 1.39% of a home’s value a year, against 1.81% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Voluntown vs. its neighbors
Of the 7 towns here with a Zillow value, Voluntown has the 4th-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voluntown | C+ | $450K | $356K | 1.39% | $1,480 |
| Griswold | C | $361K | $276K | 1.68% | $1,610 |
| North Stonington | C | $471K | $397K | 1.57% | $1,850 |
| Sterling | C | $401K | $283K | 1.61% | $1,980 |
| Exeter | D | $618K | $509K | 1.15% | $2,190 |
| Plainfield | C+ | $348K | $272K | 1.55% | $1,630 |
| West Greenwich | D− | $570K | $535K | 1.21% | $2,590 |
Questions about the cost of living in Voluntown
Is Voluntown expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Voluntown costs more than 58% of U.S. towns: a C+ for cost of living, #15 of 155 in Connecticut. The typical home costs 3.9 years of the median household income of the Putnam, CT micro area ($91K).
How much does a house cost in Voluntown?
About $450K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 14.3% in a year. The Connecticut typical home is $447K.
What salary do you need to live in Voluntown?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $124,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,880 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $59,000.
How much is rent in Voluntown?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,480 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,166 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Voluntown?
The median bill is $4,955 a year, 1.39% of the median home value (Connecticut: $6,643, 1.81%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Voluntown going up?
Yes: up 14.3% in the past year and 54.5% in five years, against 41.1% across Connecticut (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Voluntown buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.