What it's like to live in Naugatuck
Naugatuck is a small city in Connecticut with home prices that remain within reach, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Naugatuck deals with commute times longer than most cities, cold winters, snowy winters, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 47" per year
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Naugatuck compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Naugatuck
Based on Naugatuck's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,738
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $54,760 a year
- 39% of Naugatuck renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,910
- Homes cost 2.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,369/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,369 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $259,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $259,100 · 39% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 83% below US
56 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 899/100k · Naugatuck Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 28% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.3 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 11% below US
32% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 32% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Weir Farm National Historical Park (26 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Naugatuck's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,369/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (15% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Naugatuck
All Connecticut guides →Moving to Waterbury →
5 mi away · pop. 114,869
Rent $1,225/mo · Income $51,886
Compare with Naugatuck →Moving to North Haven →
12 mi away · pop. 24,336
Rent $1,720/mo · Income $132,689
Compare with Naugatuck →Not sure Naugatuck is the one?
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