Population 3,445 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Essex
Household size in Essex
| Period | Essex | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.06 | 2.51 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.00 | 2.52 | 2.61 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.07 | 2.49 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.15 | 2.47 | 2.55 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | −0.04 | −0.02 | −0.03 |
Households in Essex are small: just 2.15 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home.
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.1 | 40.4 | 40.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 60.1 | 41.2 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 58.6 | 41.9 | 42.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 59.6 | 41.9 | 42.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.5 | +1.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Essex skews older: half of its residents are older than 59.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 54.1, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.7% | 11.4% | 11.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 12.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 10.7% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 11.0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | −0.4 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Essex (9.8%), a little below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Essex
Renters in Essex
| Period | Essex | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.2% | 31.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.2% | 32.4% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.0% | 33.7% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 32.7% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | +1.7 pts | +2.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Essex is largely a place of homeowners: only 19.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 55.0% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 8.0% | 8.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 8.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 7.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Essex as nationally: 9.5%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Hartford area as a whole (7.7%).
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1964 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1965 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1966 | 1964 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1967 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Essex is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1966, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The Hartford area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,275 | $1,014 | $1,127 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,213 | $1,114 | $1,218 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,318 | $1,229 | $1,380 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,997 | $1,559 | $1,702 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$723 | +$545 | +$575 | +$606 |
Rent in Essex runs $1,997 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 23.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Essex
Bachelor's degrees in Essex
| Period | Essex | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 61.9% | 35.0% | 35.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 57.4% | 36.2% | 37.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 60.4% | 39.1% | 39.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 61.1% | 41.8% | 42.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +6.8 pts | +6.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Essex: 61.1% 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.
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.3% | 88.3% | 88.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.4% | 89.6% | 89.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.1% | 90.7% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.6% | 91.8% | 91.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +3.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Essex: 97.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 7.6% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 9.5% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.1% | 5.7% | 6.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 5.2% | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Essex runs below the national rate: 4.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% 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).
Essex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | 2.15 | 59.6 | 9.8% | 19.0% | 9.5% | 1966 | $1,997 | 61.1% | 97.6% | 4.0% |
| Centerbrook | 2.24 | 48.4 | 3.5% | 23.1% | 12.0% | 1975 | $1,768 | 50.4% | 96.8% | 3.4% |
| Essex Village | 2.16 | 59.9 | 4.8% | 11.1% | 16.7% | 1973 | $1,664 | 60.8% | 98.2% | 2.9% |
| Ivoryton | 2.53 | 40.4 | 2.7% | 22.9% | 15.8% | 1968 | $1,510 | 46.4% | 96.7% | 1.3% |
| Deep River | 2.38 | 45.3 | 10.8% | 32.7% | 6.9% | 1968 | $1,199 | 45.6% | 92.8% | 3.0% |
| Hamburg | 2.27 | 56.3 | 6.7% | 9.2% | 16.6% | 1969 | $1,749 | 62.3% | 98.7% | 2.4% |
| Old Saybrook | 2.30 | 55.0 | 5.2% | 15.0% | 23.2% | 1970 | $1,815 | 56.6% | 96.0% | 2.6% |
| Westbrook | 1.91 | 54.7 | 4.7% | 24.8% | 15.2% | 1969 | $1,378 | 41.6% | 91.8% | 2.3% |
| Hadlyme | 2.23 | 58.5 | 4.6% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 1976 | $1,726 | 51.2% | 99.0% | 2.8% |
| Old Lyme | 2.40 | 51.9 | 4.9% | 10.3% | 23.5% | 1967 | $2,316 | 58.1% | 98.0% | 2.6% |
| Chester | 2.27 | 48.8 | 11.8% | 26.9% | 8.2% | 1967 | $1,570 | 46.8% | 96.0% | 5.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Elm Springs, AR · Barnesville, MN · Santa Maria, PR · Lake Erie Beach, NY · Grantville, PA · Girard, KS · Elsie, MI · Elim, PA · East Rockingham, NC · Dyer, TN
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 Essex. 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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