1st Advantage MortgageAbout 65% of Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region homes are owner-occupied, and the median household income is $86,586. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- Who lives in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
- What Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region households earn
- Work, industries and travel time in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
- Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region housing compared with Connecticut
- How Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region compares with nearby counties
- Towns and communities in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
- What a median Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region budget can carry
- Reading the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region data as a borrower
- People and households in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
- A Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region borrower's checklist
- Checking a lender's license in Connecticut
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Who lives in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
With an estimated 279,971 residents (ACS 2020 to 2024), Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region ranks 6th of 9 in Connecticut for population. Packed into 598 square miles, that is close to 468 residents for every square mile of land. The federal metro definitions (OMB, July 2023) place it in the Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT metropolitan area. The Census Bureau counts 35 places in the county (19 incorporated, 16 census-designated); the largest is Norwich, with about 39,973 residents, or 14% of the county.
What Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region households earn
The median household income in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region is $86,586; statewide it is $95,781, so Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region runs 10% below Connecticut as a whole. In the state ranking that is 8th of 9.
| Band | Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region | Compared with Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 19.4% | +1.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 37.7% | +4.1 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 30.2% | +1.1 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 12.8% | -6.4 pts |
The spread is wide: 43% of Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region households make $100,000 or more, and 19% make less than $35,000. The poverty rate is 10.7%, 1 point higher than the state's 10.0%. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.445 (0 is perfect equality). A household earning below the $86,586 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
Work, industries and travel time in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
By the Census industry count, 26% of employed Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region residents work in education and health care and 15% in manufacturing. Arts, lodging and food service stands out: 12% of workers here, versus 8% statewide. ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 5.0% in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. About 76% drive to work alone and 12% have trips of 45 minutes or more.
| Industry | Share of Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region workers | vs Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 26.0% | -0.8 pts |
| Manufacturing | 15.2% | +4.5 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 12.3% | +4.6 pts |
| Retail trade | 10.6% | +0.1 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 9.5% | -2.8 pts |
| Construction | 6.3% | +0.2 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region housing compared with Connecticut
Renters in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region pay a median of $1,365 a month, 8% below the Connecticut figure of $1,488. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 51% of renter households here. Home values center on $323,400, or 3.7 years of median income. 65% of Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region households own their home and 35% rent. Half the housing stock was built before 1969.
| Measure | Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region | Connecticut | Median U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,365/mo | $1,488/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $323,400 | $366,900 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 65% | 66% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 51% | 53% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 26% | 30% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 2.3% | 0.7% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 8% | 7% | n/a |
Rent pressure is real here, so run any payment through the debt-to-income calculator before you apply.
How Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region compares with nearby counties
Distances run center to center, from Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region at 21 miles out to Providence County at 38. 5 of the six report a higher median household income than Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region; Washington County is highest at $106,638 and Providence County lowest at $78,787. The list crosses into Rhode Island, where different lending rules and regulators apply.
| County | Miles | Median household income | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region | - | $86,586 | $1,365/mo | 65% |
| Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT | 21 mi | $104,428 | $1,454/mo | 76% |
| Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 26 mi | $90,589 | $1,155/mo | 77% |
| Washington County, RI | 26 mi | $106,638 | $1,327/mo | 78% |
| Kent County, RI | 30 mi | $94,345 | $1,327/mo | 73% |
| Capitol Planning Region, CT | 34 mi | $93,394 | $1,411/mo | 66% |
| Providence County, RI | 38 mi | $78,787 | $1,312/mo | 57% |
Towns and communities in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
The table lists the 14 largest of 35 Census places in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, by population. Together all 35 hold about 267,326 people, so roughly 5% of residents live outside any named place. Groton Long Point has the highest median household income on the list ($172,500) and Poquonock Bridge the lowest ($36,940), counting places with at least 500 residents. No Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region place has a separate guide yet; this county page serves all 35.
| Place in county | Status | Population (ACS) | Median HH income | Monthly rent | Distance from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich | city | 39,973 | $65,024 | $1,253 | 4 mi |
| New London | city | 27,625 | $59,098 | $1,340 | 10 mi |
| Windham | town | 23,961 | $55,736 | $1,107 | 16 mi |
| East Lyme | town | 18,721 | $105,044 | $1,462 | 11 mi |
| Willimantic | CDP | 18,096 | $45,962 | $1,063 | 17 mi |
| Montville | town | 17,950 | $96,454 | $1,187 | 3 mi |
| Ledyard | town | 15,433 | $107,975 | $1,629 | 6 mi |
| Griswold | town | 11,530 | $78,719 | $1,177 | 12 mi |
| Groton | city | 9,490 | $79,577 | $1,250 | 11 mi |
| Conning Towers-Nautilus Park | CDP | 8,460 | $81,694 | $1,856 | 7 mi |
| Lebanon | town | 7,116 | $109,135 | $1,630 | 12 mi |
| Pawcatuck | CDP | 5,577 | $80,114 | $1,155 | 15 mi |
| North Stonington | town | 5,160 | $123,938 | $1,298 | 12 mi |
| Preston | town | 4,821 | $116,648 | $1,433 | 5 mi |
CDPs are unincorporated communities the Census Bureau defines for counting.
What a median Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region budget can carry
Here is the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region median household run through a simple DTI check. Your numbers will differ.
- Monthly gross at the median, Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region: $7,216
- Housing at the median rent of $1,365 uses 19%
- $1,160: what a 35% ratio leaves once rent is paid
- At 45%, room after rent is $1,882 a month
Subtract what you already pay on other debts. A new payment should fit in what remains, with some to spare.
Reading the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region data as a borrower
What the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region figures suggest, and what to check first:
- Consolidation math. With 43% at six figures, card consolidation is common; it pays only if total cost falls (guide).
- Rent squeeze. 51% of renters spend 30%+ of income on rent; borrow only if the loan cuts what you pay overall.
- Getting ready. Gather pay stubs or benefit letters before you apply (checklist).
People and households in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
College graduates make up 36% of the adult population. 4.7% of residents have no health coverage.
| People and households | Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region | Connecticut | Median county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.1 | 41.1 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 35.8% | 42.5% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 7.2% | 8.5% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 4.7% | 5.4% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 7.4% | 8.8% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 11.7% | 16.0% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 10.7% | 10.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 5.0% | 5.6% | 4.4% |
| One-way commute | Share of Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 28.0% |
| 15 to 29 min | 41.0% |
| 30 to 44 min | 18.7% |
| 45 to 59 min | 6.0% |
| 60+ min | 6.3% |
A Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region borrower's checklist
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Size the loan to the bill, not to the most a lender offers.
- Prequalify with soft pulls where offered, then compare in writing.
- Verify the Connecticut license before giving out your Social Security number.
- Read the final agreement; it must match the offer.
Checking a lender's license in Connecticut
The Connecticut Department of Banking is the place to verify any lender's Connecticut license. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. The Connecticut guide covers state rules in more detail.
Related local guides
For statewide rules and data, see the Connecticut guide.
Frequently asked questions
What does a typical Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region household make?
About $86,586 a year at the median (ACS 2020-24), 10% below the Connecticut median.
How much is rent in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region?
Median gross rent, utilities included, is $1,365 a month; 51% of renters spend 30% or more of income on it.
I live in a small Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Norwich, New London, Windham, East Lyme, Willimantic and 30 more.
Are Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region applicants treated differently?
No. Everyone answers the same questions and is screened on the same objective points; lending partners set their own criteria under fair-lending laws.
Who regulates personal lenders for Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region residents?
The Connecticut Department of Banking licenses consumer lenders in Connecticut; the CFPB takes complaints about any lender, and the FTC wants to hear about fee-first offers.