Waterbury, Connecticut

City · population 114,403 (2020 Census)

Median home: $208,500
Household income: $51,886
Jan low / Jul high: 19° / 84°
Snow a year: 47 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 24
Median age: 37.8

Waterbury is a city of 114,403 people, Connecticut. The median home is worth $208,500, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). It ranks more walkable than 97% of Connecticut towns, better for first-time buyers than 94% of Connecticut towns, more vibrant than 92% of Connecticut towns.

How Waterbury 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 Waterbury is worth $208,500, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $51,886, which is more affordable than 32% of Connecticut towns. Median rent is $1,225 a month. 47.2% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Waterbury	Typical Connecticut town
Median home value	$208,500	$376,000
Median rent	$1,225	$1,462
Median household income	$51,886	$109,167
Home value ÷ income	4.0×	3.6×
Homeownership	47.2%	80.3%
Median year built	1959	1969
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.4%	—

Who lives in Waterbury

People	Waterbury	Typical Connecticut town
Median age	37.8	45.0
Age 65 and over	15.3%	20.6%
Under 18	23.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.3%	45.8%
Below the poverty line	24.7%	5.7%
Veterans	3.6%	—
Born outside the U.S.	20.1%	—
Work from home	8.3%	16.8%
Average commute	28.0 min	27.6 min
Homes with broadband	85.3%	93.8%

Weather in Waterbury

July highs average 84.0°F and January lows 18.7°F. About 44.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 47.3 inches of snow (typical Connecticut town: 39.0 in). Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 129 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 Meriden Markham Muni Ap station (11.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waterbury since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Connecticut town. 10 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on July 29, 1971 about 0.9 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 131 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on November 13, 2021.

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 30 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 4, 2026.

Public schools in Waterbury

33 public schools with 18,974 students, about 13.5 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Crosby High School	9-12	1,452	15.1
John F. Kennedy High School	9-12	1,391	14.2
Wilby High School	9-12	1,178	12.9
Michael F. Wallace Middle School	4-8	1,048	11.8
Waterbury Arts Magnet School	6-12	821	13.9
West Side Middle School	6-8	799	9.7
W. F. Kaynor Technical High School	9-12	785	11.4
Waterbury Career Academy	9-12	755	13.2
North End Middle School	6-8	734	10.5
Rotella Interdistrict Magnet School	PK-5	614	14.6
Wendell L. Cross School	PK-8	612	15.7
Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School	PK-5	595	15.3

Towns near Waterbury

Oakville, CT
3.5 mi · 9,504 people · home $280,500
Wolcott, CT
4.3 mi · 16,142 people · home $326,200
Naugatuck, CT
4.9 mi · 31,519 people · home $259,100
Middlebury, CT
5.0 mi · 7,574 people · home $476,400
Prospect, CT
5.2 mi · 9,401 people · home $355,400
Watertown, CT
5.3 mi · 3,938 people · home $293,300
Watertown, CT
5.7 mi · 22,105 people · home $333,500
Plymouth, CT
7.5 mi · 11,671 people · home $275,000

Waterbury questions

Is Waterbury, Connecticut a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Waterbury scores better for retirees than 1% of Connecticut towns and quieter than 2%. 15.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.8).

How much does a house cost in Waterbury?

The median owner-occupied home in Waterbury is valued at $208,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,886, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,225 a month.

What is the weather like in Waterbury?

July highs average 84.0°F and January lows 18.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.9 inches of precipitation a year and 47.3 inches of snow.

Does Waterbury get tornadoes?

24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waterbury since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on July 29, 1971. The typical Connecticut town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Waterbury's Census boundary (GEOID 0980000). 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 2026-11-12.