City profile · Connecticut · Census ACS 2023

Bethel, CT

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bethel - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

11,606
Residents
$88,344
Median income
$377,500
Median home
$2,511
Median rent (state)

Bethel - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Bethel lands in the 69th percentile for household income and the 83rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

69th
percentile, household income
75th
percentile, home value
92nd
percentile, median rent
83rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Bethel, CT

Bethel is a small town in Connecticut, home to 11,606 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $88,344 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 2.6%. Home values in Bethel run a median of $377,500, and the median resident age is 40.9 years. 38.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 68.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Bethel reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 538.5 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Connecticut carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Connecticut at 103.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,511 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $345 across Connecticut, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 96.3 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

11,606 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Connecticut

Median Household Income

$88,344 /yr

Poverty 2.6%

Cost of Living Index (state)

103.6 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Connecticut average

How does Bethel compare to other US cities?

Bethel measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 69% higher than other cities
Home value 75% pricier than other cities
Median rent 92% pricier than other cities
Safety 83% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Connecticut alone, Bethel ranks #8 of 46 Connecticut cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Bethel's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Connecticut, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

69thIncome percentile
83rdSafety percentile

69th percentile nationally for median household income · 83rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Bethel's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Bethel's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 56 Avg. percentile National median
Bethel's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Bethel's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$377,500 25th percentile more affordable than 25% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Bethel $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Bethel, CT Bethel, CT's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Bethel, CT-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Bethel, CT median $88,344/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Bethel, CT's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Bethel, CT. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 38.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 68.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
11,606
Median Income
$88,344
Median Home Value
$377,500
Median Age
40.9
Poverty Rate
2.6%
Labor force participation
68.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
38.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
538.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
9.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
528.9
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
75.6%
Carpool
6.5%
Public Transit
1.8%
Walk
0.5%
Work from Home
12.0%
Other
3.6%

Based on 5,921 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Connecticut - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$175
avg/month
Natural Gas
$110
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$60
avg/month
Total Utilities
$345
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Connecticut state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Connecticut state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bethel sits in

Cost of Living Index
103.6
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,511/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
96.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Connecticut

Derby
12,359 people
Windsor Locks
12,555 people
Trumbull Center
10,137 people
Kensington
9,936 people
Sandy Hook
9,718 people
Storrs
13,502 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bethel's 11,606 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Georgetown, GA
11,606 people
Town and Country, MO
11,605 people
Minden, LA
11,604 people
Ringwood, NJ
11,600 people
Spring Lake, NC
11,613 people
Yorktown, IN
11,617 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Bethel's $88,344 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Montgomery, NY
$88,348 median income
Watford City, ND
$88,351 median income
Grafton, OH
$88,352 median income
Santa Ana, CA
$88,354 median income
Waldron, IN
$88,333 median income
Big Bow, KS
$88,333 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Bethel, CT Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Bethel, CT - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 61.7% 10.1% 11.4% 11.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 13.3% White 61.7% Black or African American 10.1% Asian 4.9% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 11.4% Two or more races 11.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Bethel compares to nearby Connecticut cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Bethel (this city) 11,606 $88,344
Derby 12,359 $76,263
Windsor Locks 12,555 $90,417
Trumbull Center 10,137 $124,547
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CT FBI UCR NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Bethel, CT?

What is the population of Bethel, CT? +

The population of Bethel, CT stands at 11,606 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Bethel, CT? +

The median household income in Bethel is $88,344 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Bethel? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bethel; the closest available measure is the Connecticut state average, a cost of living index of 103.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Connecticut vary by metro area.

Is Bethel, CT safe? +

Bethel has a total crime rate of 538.5 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Bethel, CT? +

The median home value in Bethel is $377,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.