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Place dossier plate
SheetCT-NEW-BRITAIN-CT · New Britain, CT 73,301 pop · income 31st pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around New Britain
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest New Britain on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Caguas zona u… · lowest
26,649
Caguas zona u… · lowest
26,649 median HH income
16.9% of the leader · rank #1
Bedford · near
57,031
Bedford · near
57,031 median HH income
36.1% of the leader · rank #2
Klemme · near
57,031
Klemme · near
57,031 median HH income
36.1% of the leader · rank #3
St. James · near
57,031
St. James · near
57,031 median HH income
36.1% of the leader · rank #4
New Britain · this city
57,036
New Britain · this city
57,036 median HH income
36.1% of the leader · rank #5
Myrtle Creek · near
57,039
Myrtle Creek · near
57,039 median HH income
36.1% of the leader · rank #6
Ellicott · highest
157,891
Ellicott · highest
157,891 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for New Britain on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 73,301.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
New Britain - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, New Britain lands in the 31st percentile for household income and the 25th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
31st
percentile, household income
45th
percentile, home value
86th
percentile, median rent
25th
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: New Britain, CT
Connecticut's New Britain is a small city, with 73,301 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. New Britain households earn a median of $57,036 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 14.8%. Typical homes in New Britain are valued around $207,300, and the median resident age is 34.8 years. Educational attainment runs 18.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 60.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 246 residential building permits were authorized in New Britain (Building Boom), up 1267% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2346.8 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Connecticut carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Connecticut scores 103.6 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,955 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Connecticut run around $345, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 87.6 out of 100 (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of New Britain's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to housing and income to reported crime to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For New Britain, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for New Britain?
The NCES join finds 14 public schools within the city match. 18.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
What does the journey to work look like in New Britain?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 73.8%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Which cities make useful reference points for New Britain?
Within Connecticut, the closest population matches are West Hartford (63,809 residents, $125,616 income); Bristol (61,129 residents, $83,458 income); Danbury (86,086 residents, $83,422 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Kalamazoo, MI (73,132 residents); Jacksonville, NC (73,507 residents); Redlands, CA (72,985 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
How far does income reach against housing in New Britain?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 14.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in New Britain?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2346.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 3% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1925.5
Violent rate
421.3
Total reported rate
2346.8
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Is New Britain growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +3,345 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +4.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 246 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+4.6%
2025 estimate
76,286
2020 estimate
72,941
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Below median income · poverty 14.8% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
103.6 (US=100)
High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Connecticut average
F
City profile score · New Britain, CT
26/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share F
18.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$57,036
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living F
103.6 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate F
14.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
421 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
New Britain profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 31/100 (F) · 18.8%
Household income: 30/100 (F) · $57,036
Cost of living: 24/100 (F) · 103.6 index
Poverty rate: 23/100 (F) · 14.8%
Violent crime: 21/100 (F) · 421 /100k
Where New Britain sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
New Britain's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - New Britain highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
New Britain, CT (this city): home $207,300, crime 2,347/100k
Kalamazoo, MI : home $164,500, crime 4,731/100k
Redlands, CA : home $583,000, crime 2,450/100k
Bowling Green, KY : home $232,100, crime 3,153/100k
West Hartford, CT : home $391,200, crime 2,796/100k
Bristol, CT : home $252,300, crime 1,016/100k
Danbury, CT : home $381,600, crime 1,519/100k
Meriden, CT : home $221,600, crime 1,817/100k
Norwalk, CT : home $535,000, crime 1,590/100k
West Haven, CT : home $265,200, crime 1,343/100k
How does New Britain compare to other US cities?
Where New Britain sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income31% higher than other cities
Home value45% pricier than other cities
Median rent86% pricier than other cities
Safety25% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Connecticut, New Britain ranks #40 of 47 Connecticut cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares New Britain against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Connecticut only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Connecticut-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places New Britain near the bottom of Connecticut's cities
Among the 207 Connecticut cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, New Britain ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares New Britain only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#183 of 198
8th percentile in Connecticut
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 207
0th percentile in Connecticut
Median Home Value
#188 of 201
6th percentile in Connecticut
Poverty Rate
#21 of 204
90th percentile in Connecticut
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#187 of 207
10th percentile in Connecticut
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Connecticut only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
31st percentile nationally for median household income · 25th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
New Britain's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
New Britain'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 New Britain's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$207,300Among the most affordablemore affordable than 55% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
New Britain's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,488 of 15,516
More affordable than 39% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#250 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 3.6×, New Britain sits in the moderate band:
national rank #9,488 of 15,516 and #250 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$57,036New Britain, CT median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context New Britain, CT median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for New Britain, CT.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)18.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)14.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)60.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
73,301
Median Income
$57,036
Median Home Value
$207,300
Median Age
34.8
Poverty Rate
14.8%
Labor force participation
60.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
18.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2346.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
421.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1925.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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
14
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
New Britain's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
72,941 residents
2021
73,567 residents
2022
73,716 residents
2023
74,767 residents
2024
75,673 residents
2025
76,286 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
246
housing units authorized
Single-Family
11
detached homes
Multifamily
235
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
18
9
9
$2.3M
2020
12
4
8
$1.3M
2021
9
9
0
$1.2M
2022
127
5
122
$15.6M
2023
2
2
0
$0.4M
2024
246
11
235
$39.7M
Permit volume increased 1267% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
73.8%
Carpool
10.3%
Public Transit
3.3%
Walk
2.9%
Work from Home
7.5%
Other
2.2%
Based on 34,459 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Connecticut statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $345
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Connecticut at $345 (electricity about $175 , water and sewer about $60 ).
These are Connecticut statewide averages, not a meter reading for New Britain. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Connecticut's BEA cost-of-living index is 103.6 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around New Britain is $1,955/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Connecticut statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 87.6 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Connecticut statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county New Britain sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How New Britain compares to similar-size Connecticut cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.