City comparison
Waterbury, CT is about 20 miles (30 km) from West Haven, CT in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 25 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Waterbury, CT to West Haven, CT takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Waterbury has a population of 114,480, vs 55,336 in West Haven — about 2.1× larger by population. By land area, Waterbury covers about 29 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for West Haven.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Waterbury | West Haven | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,140/mo | $1,322/mo | 16.0% higher in West Haven |
| Median home value | $162,800 | $247,800 | 52.2% higher in West Haven |
| Median household income | $51,451 | $72,827 | 41.5% higher in West Haven |
| Groceries index | 97.4 | 106.7 | 9.5% higher in West Haven |
| Utilities index | 148.4 | 128.3 | 15.7% higher in Waterbury |
| Transportation index | 101.0 | 104.3 | 3.2% higher in West Haven |
| Healthcare index | 101.8 | 105.1 | 3.2% higher in West Haven |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Waterbury, you'd need $127,171 in West Haven to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waterbury, CT is about 21.4% cheaper overall than West Haven, CT, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 75% higher in West Haven than in Waterbury. If you earn $80,000 in Waterbury, you'd need about $101,737 in West Haven to keep the same standard of living.