Population 8,196 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in East Lyme
Household size in East Lyme
| Period | East Lyme | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.75 | 2.61 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.68 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.55 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.36 | −0.02 | −0.03 |
Households in East Lyme run small, averaging 2.43 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.79 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in East Lyme
| Period | East Lyme | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.3 | 40.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.7 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.3 | 42.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.9 | 42.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.9, East Lyme is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 43.3 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in East Lyme
| Period | East Lyme | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 11.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in East Lyme: 7.8% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.7 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in East Lyme
Renters in East Lyme
| Period | East Lyme | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.7% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.3% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +13.6 pts | +2.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 24.3% of households in East Lyme rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 35.7% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share has risen 13.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in East Lyme
| Period | East Lyme | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 8.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.5% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.3% of homes in East Lyme are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. East Lyme has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Connecticut cities.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in East Lyme
| Period | East Lyme | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1964 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in East Lyme was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Connecticut as a whole, where the median home dates to 1967. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in East Lyme
| Period | East Lyme | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,106 | $1,127 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,243 | $1,218 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,379 | $1,380 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,612 | $1,702 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$506 | +$575 | +$606 |
The median renter in East Lyme pays $1,612 a month for rent and utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in Connecticut as a whole ($1,702). Rent has climbed $506 a month since 2006–10, up 46%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 36.3% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in East Lyme
Bachelor's degrees in East Lyme
| Period | East Lyme | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.4% | 35.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 47.9% | 37.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 52.4% | 39.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 58.6% | 42.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.2 pts | +6.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in East Lyme: 58.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree has risen 12.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in East Lyme
| Period | East Lyme | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.0% | 88.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.3% | 89.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.1% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.5% | 91.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in East Lyme: 97.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 0.5 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in East Lyme
| Period | East Lyme | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 6.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in East Lyme runs below the national rate: 3.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
East Lyme compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lyme | 2.43 | 44.9 | 7.8% | 24.3% | 4.3% | 1981 | $1,612 | 58.6% | 97.5% | 3.7% |
| Laysville | 2.52 | 47.0 | 12.0% | 19.7% | 9.7% | 1977 | $2,175 | 49.0% | 99.7% | 1.9% |
| Niantic | 2.12 | 52.9 | 4.8% | 23.2% | 17.3% | 1969 | $1,732 | 48.8% | 98.0% | 2.2% |
| Giants Neck | 1.84 | 38.4 | 23.5% | 71.5% | 0.5% | 2012 | $751 | 15.3% | 89.2% | 0.0% |
| Waterford | 2.34 | 46.3 | 6.3% | 21.8% | 9.4% | 1970 | $1,633 | 41.9% | 96.4% | 5.7% |
| Old Lyme | 2.40 | 51.9 | 4.9% | 10.3% | 23.5% | 1967 | $2,316 | 58.1% | 98.0% | 2.6% |
| Millstone | 1.95 | 57.1 | 5.3% | 15.0% | 22.4% | 1957 | $1,674 | 50.3% | 90.1% | 10.2% |
| South Lyme | 2.36 | 49.4 | 2.1% | 1.1% | 28.4% | 1969 | $2,198 | 62.4% | 98.4% | 1.6% |
| North Lyme | 2.55 | 47.5 | 12.7% | 8.8% | 13.2% | 1970 | $1,845 | 63.0% | 98.7% | 3.9% |
| Quaker Hill | 2.65 | 46.9 | 5.6% | 14.0% | 9.0% | 1961 | $1,711 | 37.2% | 95.8% | 5.4% |
| New London | 2.11 | 37.6 | 17.3% | 63.8% | 8.5% | 1949 | $1,311 | 27.0% | 87.7% | 6.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sheffield Lake, OH · Highland Park, TX · Hilliard, FL · Hillside, IL · Hillview, KY · Hinckley, OH · Hitchcock, TX · Shamokin, PA · Shavertown, PA · Herkimer, NY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up East Lyme. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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