Canaan, Connecticut

Community · population 1,190 (2020 Census)

Median home: $204,200
Household income: $48,214
Jan low / Jul high: 14° / 85°
Snow a year: 75 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 10
Median age: 38.6

Canaan is a community of 1,190 people, Connecticut. The median home is worth $204,200, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 95% of Connecticut towns, hipper than 73% of Connecticut towns.

Canaan in our rankings:

How Canaan ranks

Percentile among Connecticut towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Connecticut towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Canaan is worth $204,200, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). Homes cost about 4.2 times the median household income of $48,214, which is more affordable than 30% of Connecticut towns. Median rent is $1,588 a month. 67.4% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Connecticut towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Canaan	Typical Connecticut town
Median home value	$204,200	$376,000
Median rent	$1,588	$1,462
Median household income	$48,214	$109,167
Home value ÷ income	4.2×	3.6×
Homeownership	67.4%	80.3%
Median year built	1938	1969
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Canaan

People	Canaan	Typical Connecticut town
Median age	38.6	45.0
Age 65 and over	13.7%	20.6%
Under 18	28.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.1%	45.8%
Below the poverty line	20.3%	5.7%
Veterans	6.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	7.4%	—
Work from home	11.3%	16.8%
Average commute	20.8 min	27.6 min
Homes with broadband	88.9%	93.8%

Weather in Canaan

July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 14.2°F. About 46.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 74.9 inches of snow (typical Connecticut town: 39.0 in). Expect about 12 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 156 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Falls Village station (6.5 mi away); snow from Norfolk 2 Sw (7.4 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Canaan since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Connecticut town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 11, 1966 about 5.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 2, 2020.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 28 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 15, 2018.

Towns near Canaan

North Canaan, CT
2.3 mi · 3,211 people · home $267,300
Sheffield, MA
4.6 mi · 3,327 people · home $409,400
Canaan, CT
5.5 mi · 1,080 people · home $469,400
New Marlborough, MA
6.0 mi · 1,528 people · home $608,300
Salisbury, CT
6.0 mi · 4,194 people · home $763,700
Lakeville, CT
7.8 mi · 1,059 people · home $868,200
Norfolk, CT
7.9 mi · 551 people · home $349,000
Norfolk, CT
9.3 mi · 1,588 people · home $430,900

Canaan questions

Is Canaan, Connecticut a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Canaan scores better for retirees than 51% of Connecticut towns and quieter than 24%. 13.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.6).

How much does a house cost in Canaan?

The median owner-occupied home in Canaan is valued at $204,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,214, so homes cost about 4.2 times income. Median rent is $1,588 a month.

What is the weather like in Canaan?

July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 14.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.9 inches of precipitation a year and 74.9 inches of snow.

Does Canaan get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Canaan since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 11, 1966. The typical Connecticut town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Canaan's Census boundary (GEOID 0910870). Comparisons use the median of Connecticut towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.