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Willimantic.

All Willimantic data Compare Willimantic

18,096people live here $45,962median household income▼ 43% below US $1,063median rent per month▼ 25% below US $190,900median home value▼ 43% below US

Willimantic is an unincorporated community in the county, CT. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Willimantic

Willimantic is an unincorporated community in Connecticut with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Willimantic deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.

The good

Rent below the national average
Affordable home prices
Low crime rates
Clean air
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Below-average household incomes
High poverty rate
High rent burden for renters
Cold winters
Snowy winters — 39" per year
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Willimantic compares

Median household income

Willimantic$45,962

Connecticut avg$95,781

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Willimantic$1,063

Connecticut avg$1,488

US$1,413

Median home value

Willimantic$190,900

Connecticut avg$366,900

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Willimantic

Based on Willimantic's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,126

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $42,520 a year
52% of Willimantic renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$38,180

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $19,090
Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▼ 25% below US

$1,063/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,063 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $190,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.

Median home value $190,900 · 52% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.9% county unemployment

Unemployment in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region (county-wide)

Safety▼ 70% below US

98 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 536/100k · Willimantic Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 11% below US

23 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

70%

Carpool

9.9%

Walk

8.5%

Work from home

6.2%

Public transit

3.7%

Other

1.8%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 20°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▼ 33% below US

24% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

Schools

7 public schools inside the boundary

There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, 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 Coltsville National Historical Park (23 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Willimantic's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,063/mo) equals 28% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime.

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