Should I Move To
Waterbury, Connecticut is home to about 114,480 people. On cost of living, it lands in the moderate band — 4% below the national average. The median renter pays around $1,140 a month against a typical household income of $51,451. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 62 out of 100 (grade C+), putting it at #104 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Waterbury's composite cost-of-living index lands at 96 (100 = US average), which puts it in the moderate band. At $1,140/mo against $51,451 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 27% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $162,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is four-season — summer averages around 83°F, winter averages around 30°F. Precipitation totals about 50 inches a year. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential. Reported crime is somewhat above average, though specific neighborhoods vary widely. AQI runs about 34 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Waterbury doesn't obviously fit families. The profile-weighted score is 54/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
Waterbury reads as a moderate fit for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 72/100 — a B. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
Waterbury reads as a moderate fit for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 73/100 — a B. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
Waterbury doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 52/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is job market (3/100).
Our overall score for Waterbury is 62/100 — a C+, sitting at #104 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Waterbury sits at 96 — moderate, 4% below the national average. Median renter pays around $1,140 a month.
Waterbury runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 83°F, winter's near 30°F; 50 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 85/100. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential.
Roughly 114,480 people live here, with 17% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 37.
Drop Waterbury into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Waterbury with other Connecticut cities scored on UrbRank.
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