Town · Connecticut
Essex, Connecticut
Essex, town, in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut. Essex had 6,819 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 6,733 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 6,794 (±28). GEOID 0913026270.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
6,819
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 6,733 · ACS 2020-2024: 6,794 ±28
Median household income
$104,395
±$6,626 (90% margin)
Connecticut: $95,781
Median home value
$552,000
±$53,323 (90% margin)
Connecticut: $366,900
Median gross rent
$1,623
±$326 (90% margin)
Connecticut: $1,488
Where is Essex and what county is it in?
Essex is a town in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut. It covers 10.4 square miles of land, 647 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Essex: Essex Village (CDP, 2,583 in 2020).
Essex is in the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Essex, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 6,819 people lived in Essex on July 1, 2025, up 1.2% since 2020, slower than Connecticut (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 6,733 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 6,794 (±28).
| Measure | Essex | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 6,794±28 | 175,822 | – |
| Households | 2,987±198 | 74,068 | – |
| Average household size | 2.22±0.14 | 2.28 | – |
| Housing units | 3,282±227 | 82,963 | – |
Essex's population since 2000
From 6,505 in 2000 to 6,819 in 2025: up 4.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Essex as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Essex?
The median resident of Essex is 52.4 years old; 16.2% are under 18 and 26.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.2%. 5.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Essex | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.4±3.6 | 45.9 | – |
| Under 18 years | 16.2%±3.3 pts | 16.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 26.4%±4.2 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Male | 50.1%±3.3 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.7%±2.6 pts | 7.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.7%±3.7 pts | 79.2% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.7%±2.3 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.7%±0.7 pts | 3.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.2%±1.9 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.6 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.4%±2.8 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.2%±2.6 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.3%±2.2 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 11.5%±2.8 pts | 11.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.0%±1.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.2%±2.2 pts | 95.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 54.9%±5.9 pts | 46.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 22.4%±4.2 pts | 20.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.8%±3.6 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.7%±1.7 pts | 2.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Essex earn?
Half of Essex's 2,987 households earn less than $104,395 a year (±$6,626), against $104,428 in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region and $95,781 in Connecticut. 3.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Essex | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $104,395±$6,626 | $104,428 | – |
| Mean household income | $151,158±$19,445 | $138,522 | – |
| Per capita income | $69,352±$9,284 | $59,075 | – |
| People below the poverty line | 3.2%±1.7 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 1.3%±2.2 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.9%±1.2 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.0%±1.7 pts | 95.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.8%±2.3 pts | 92.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Essex?
Owners occupy 78.1% of Essex's occupied homes and renters 21.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $552,000 by its owner (±$53,323). The median renter pays $1,623 a month including utilities, and 36.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Essex | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $552,000±$53,323 | $379,700 | – |
| Median gross rent | $1,623±$326 | $1,454 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.3%±16.5 pts | 40.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,544±$186 | $2,411 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 78.1%±7.3 pts | 75.8% | – |
| Renter-occupied homes | 21.9%±7.3 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Housing units | 3,282±227 | 82,963 | – |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.2%±3.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±5.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 72.8%±7.1 pts | 72.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±1.3 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.6%±0.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.8%±1.9 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 26.9%±5.4 pts | 19.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.4%±3.2 pts | 5.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Essex building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Essex in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.1 per 1,000 residents against 2.0 across Connecticut.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Essex work and get to work?
70.2% of Essex's workers drive alone and 19.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.3 minutes.
| Measure | Essex | Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.3%±4.5 pts | 65.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1%±1.9 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 70.2%±6.3 pts | 71.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.7%±2.4 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.9%±1.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Walked | 4.0%±3.1 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 19.4%±5.3 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.3 min±5.4 | 26.0 min | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Essex?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Essex (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $103,462 (Tract 6301.02) to $104,466 (Tract 6301.01).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 6301.01Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | 4,111 | $104,466 |
| Tract 6301.02Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region | 2,683 | $103,462 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Essex) · Census block assignment files
How does Essex compare with other places in Connecticut?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Essex is the 1,757th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 92nd-most populous of 142 in Connecticut.
Essex ranks 171st of 294 places in Connecticut with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 92nd | 142 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 128th | 167 |
| Residents per square mile | 181st | 303 |
| Median household income | 171st | 294 |
| Per capita income | 89th | 303 |
| Median home value | 60th | 300 |
| Median gross rent | 104th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 181st | 202 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 97th | 297 |
| Median age | 39th | 301 |
| Owner-occupied share | 162nd | 300 |
| Work from home | 110th | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 152nd | 302 |
Essex's figures with every place in Connecticut (CSV)
Every place in Connecticut, sortable · Compare Essex with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Essex?
15 of the 57 figures for Essex on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Essex are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.