The Hartford metro area: Hartford, Middlesex and Tolland counties · Population 1,217,056 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Hartford area
Household size in the Hartford area
| Period | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.61 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.55 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.02 | −0.03 |
The average household in the Hartford area has 2.47 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has edged down from 2.51 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The Hartford area has smaller households than the great majority of large metro areas.
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 the Hartford area
| Period | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.4 | 40.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 42.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.9 | 42.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The Hartford area skews a little older than the country: its median age is 41.9, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.4, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the center, the 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 the Hartford area
| Period | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 11.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in the Hartford area (11.0%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while 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 the Hartford area
Renters in the Hartford area
| Period | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.4% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.7% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.7% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +2.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in the Hartford area rent their homes (32.7%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among owners, 36.3% have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share is up 1.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 the Hartford area
| Period | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 8.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in the Hartford area: 7.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Connecticut comes in at about the same level.
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 the Hartford area
| Period | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1966 | 1964 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The Hartford area is a place of older homes: half were built before 1967, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1964 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center.
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 the Hartford area
| Period | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,014 | $1,127 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,114 | $1,218 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,229 | $1,380 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,559 | $1,702 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$545 | +$575 | +$606 |
Rent in the Hartford area runs $1,559 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in Connecticut overall ($1,702). Rent has climbed $545 a month since 2006–10, up 54%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.8% of the typical renter's income, just over 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 the Hartford area
Bachelor's degrees in the Hartford area
| Period | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.0% | 35.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.2% | 37.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.1% | 39.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.8% | 42.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +6.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over four in ten adults 25 and older in the Hartford area (41.8%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 6.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
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 the Hartford area
| Period | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.3% | 88.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.6% | 89.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.7% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.8% | 91.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in the Hartford area is a bit above the national rate: 91.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The figure for Connecticut is much the same. The share with a diploma has risen 3.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 the Hartford area
| Period | Hartford area | Connecticut | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 6.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in the Hartford area is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.5 points, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Largest cities in the Hartford area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford area (all) | 2.47 | 41.9 | 11.0% | 32.7% | 7.7% | 1967 | $1,559 | 41.8% | 91.8% | 5.2% |
| New Britain | 2.54 | 36.0 | 19.2% | 54.9% | 10.2% | 1955 | $1,312 | 21.6% | 83.3% | 8.2% |
| West Hartford | 2.46 | 42.9 | 8.9% | 32.5% | 5.9% | 1954 | $2,082 | 66.5% | 95.2% | 4.3% |
| Bristol | 2.55 | 38.6 | 13.2% | 35.0% | 8.6% | 1967 | $1,357 | 30.1% | 93.4% | 7.0% |
| East Hartford | 2.55 | 38.7 | 16.2% | 39.7% | 7.3% | 1962 | $1,389 | 16.5% | 86.9% | 4.9% |
| Middletown | 2.19 | 38.9 | 11.4% | 47.2% | 6.9% | 1966 | $1,488 | 39.9% | 93.6% | 4.7% |
| Manchester | 2.46 | 38.1 | 14.7% | 45.9% | 7.5% | 1955 | $1,427 | 36.8% | 92.8% | 5.7% |
| Southington | 2.61 | 44.7 | 7.3% | 18.1% | 5.2% | 1975 | $1,590 | 44.8% | 94.8% | 4.1% |
| Newington | 2.40 | 45.6 | 7.1% | 21.8% | 5.4% | 1967 | $1,551 | 40.0% | 93.5% | 3.4% |
| Windsor | 2.52 | 44.9 | 12.3% | 17.7% | 4.9% | 1968 | $1,759 | 42.6% | 94.1% | 5.1% |
| Wethersfield | 2.46 | 44.9 | 5.8% | 19.4% | 6.2% | 1961 | $1,431 | 54.6% | 94.0% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Rochester area · Grand Rapids area · Fresno area · Buffalo area · Birmingham area · Salt Lake City area · Richmond area · Memphis area · Louisville area · Raleigh area
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 the Hartford area. 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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