DataByArea.com

Meriden, CT Area Profile

Meriden, Connecticut Area, CT

Cost of Living

A quick read on everyday affordability around Meriden, with the main cost drivers separated for scanning.

Composite Index

95.8

Grocery Index

9.1

Housing Index

8.6

Transportation Index

7.2

Cost of living summary
MetricValue
Composite cost index95.8
Grocery index9.1
Housing index8.6
Transportation index7.2

What to Watch

  • Rent is listed at $1,243/mo, giving renters a second baseline beside home values.
  • Home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.
  • Use Kensington, CT as a same-state comparison point before treating one CT value as typical.
View Connecticut cost of living report

Utilities

Monthly utility patterns and baseline household costs for power, water, gas, and fuel.

Electric Rate Consumption

Monthly electric index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
222834456274485667826157

Water Consumption

Monthly water index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
664844363026343733554958

Gas Rate (CCF)

Monthly gas index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
283643526147556349455257
Everyday utility costs
MetricValue
Electricity rate$0.305/kWh
Gasoline price$3.28/gal
Water bill avg$48/mo
Gas rate$1.18/CCF
View Connecticut utilities report

Demographics

Population, age mix, education, and income context for understanding the local community.

Population Age Pyramid

Age mix index
Age bandMaleFemale
0-96864
10-197571
20-348378
35-499290
50-6410097
65-748488
75+7279

Income Distribution

Income bracket index
BracketIndex
Under $35k72
$35k-$49k88
$50k-$74k100
$75k-$99k79
$100k+52

Annual Income Distribution

Median household$63,200
Per capita$33,900
Poverty rate9.8%
Community snapshot
MeasureEstimate
Population60,418
Median age38.6
Bachelor+22.2%

Schools

School performance and classroom context in a compact local snapshot.

Test Score Trends

Test score trend
201920202021202220232024
424851575964

Grocery Index

9.1

Housing Index

8.6

Transportation Index

7.2

Utility Index

7.9

School snapshot
IndicatorValue
Math proficiency53%
Reading proficiency58%
Student-teacher ratio14:1

Helpful Context

  • Use the school section as a local screen for Meriden, then confirm campus-level details before making decisions.
  • A single score rarely explains the full school picture for Meriden; program fit and attendance zones matter too.
  • Nearby city pages can help separate Meriden-specific signals from broader Connecticut patterns.

Local Economy

A simple labor-market snapshot showing local job mix, wages, and workforce size.

Industry Job Types

Industry job mix
IndustryShareIndex
Manufacturing31%74
Agriculture26%64
Healthcare19%52
Retail14%39
Other Services10%31
Local economy snapshot
MetricValue
Unemployment5.0%
Median wage$68,617
Labor force264

Climate

Winter avg: 15 degrees F - Summer avg: 82 degrees F - Snowfall: 43 in

Local Takeaways

  • The job market is balanced enough to compare wages against nearby employment hubs for Meriden and the surrounding Connecticut labor market.
  • The median household income value is $68,617 when ACS data is available for this place.
  • Use the economy card with housing and taxes to judge whether Meriden works for a specific household budget.

Real Estate

Home values, property taxes, and rental context in one housing-focused snapshot.

Median Home Value Trend

Median home value trend
201920202021202220232024
$154k$161k$172k$181k$186k$189k

Property Tax Breakdown

  • County levy: 42%
  • School district: 34%
  • City/other: 24%
Housing and tax snapshot
IndicatorValue
Median home value$221,600
Median property tax paid$4,928
Estimated state sales tax rate7.39%
Rent (2-bed)$1,243/mo
View Connecticut property tax report

Climate

A compact view of weather patterns and natural-risk context for the area.

Avg High (Jul)82°F
Avg Low (Jan)8°F
Humidity72%

Climate Snapshot

Reference
Now--
Condition--
Wind--
Today--

Climate context is provided for planning and comparison.

Climate snapshot
MeasureValue
Sunny days196
Annual snowfall43 in
NOAA hazard risk scoreModerate

Planning Notes

  • For Meriden, weather risk is best read with insurance, roof age, drainage, and commute routes together.
  • Utility planning matters because electricity is a high-cost line item for households that use a lot of cooling or appliances.
  • Compare climate and insurance sections together before using Meriden as a relocation shortlist.

Insurance

Location-based risk and cost pressure signals that can affect insurance pricing.

Risk IndexModerate
Weather RiskMedium
Cost PressureLow
Insurance summary
IndicatorEstimate
Insurance cost index95
NOAA hazard risk scoreModerate
Primary local riskWinter weather

What Affects Rates

  • Electricity is a high-cost line item for households that use a lot of cooling or appliances and may indirectly affect household operating costs.
  • Local claims history, coverage limits, deductibles, and property condition can outweigh broad CT averages.
  • Compare with Kensington, CT for a broader read on Connecticut insurance pressure.
View Connecticut insurance report

Meriden Facts

Fast factual reference points for Meriden, combining available ACS, EIA, and BLS signals.

Meriden, CT facts
FactValueSource context
Population60,418ACS place estimate
Median household income$68,617ACS household estimate
Median home value$221,600ACS housing estimate
Median age38.6ACS demographic estimate
Bachelor+ share22.2%ACS education estimate
Residential electric rate$0.305/kWhEIA state residential rate

Helpful Context

  • In Meriden, home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.
  • City-specific ACS values are used when the place matches; state-level API values fill statewide measures.
  • Use these facts as a fast CT screen before checking address-level records or provider quotes.

Meriden Local Data Brief

This section is generated from cached city metrics and clearly labeled state-level benchmarks. It is meant to make the Meriden page less generic and more useful for comparing housing, income, utilities, taxes, insurance, demographics, and nearby alternatives.

Meriden, CT local metrics and source context
MetricValueHow to read it
Population60,418Meriden is treated as a smaller-city place for comparison.
Median household income$68,617Income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching.
Median home value$221,600Home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.
Two-bedroom rent$1,243/moRent gives a renter-side affordability baseline beside owner costs.
Median property tax paid$4,928Property tax should be read with mortgage, insurance, and home value.
Residential electric rate$0.305/kWhThis is a state-level EIA benchmark, not a city utility quote.
Unemployment5.0%This is a state-level BLS labor-market benchmark.
Median age38.6Age mix can affect housing demand, commute needs, and school planning.
Bachelor+ share22.2%Education mix can help frame labor-market and school-context questions.

Affordability Summary

Population is 60,418, so Meriden should be compared with similar-size places before using broader Connecticut averages. Median household income is $68,617, so the best affordability read for Meriden is income versus housing, taxes, utilities, and insurance together.

Median home value is $221,600, so ownership costs in Meriden should be checked with mortgage, property tax, insurance, and maintenance assumptions. Two-bedroom rent is $1,243/mo, so renters can compare Meriden against ownership costs and nearby rental markets.

Housing and Income Context

For Meriden, income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching. Home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.

Use the home value, rent, and income fields together before deciding whether Meriden looks more favorable for renting, buying, or comparing with Kensington, CT.

Utility Cost Context

The residential electricity benchmark is $0.305/kWh, so Meriden households should treat usage, home size, heating, and cooling as the practical bill drivers. The electricity value shown for Meriden is a Connecticut state-level EIA benchmark, so it should not be read as a local provider tariff.

For Meriden, utility planning is stronger when the electric benchmark is paired with home age, square footage, insulation, HVAC equipment, and household occupancy.

Property Tax Context

Median property tax paid is $4,928, so Meriden buyers should still verify parcel-specific tax records before budgeting. Parcel boundaries, exemptions, school districts, and reassessment rules can move the actual bill for a Meriden address.

Compare the property tax field with home value rather than reading it by itself; a lower tax bill can still pair with a different assessment base or exemption profile.

Insurance and Risk Context

Insurance costs in Meriden depend on address-level factors such as roof condition, structure age, coverage limits, claims history, deductible choice, and carrier underwriting.

Home value, tax burden, and insurance exposure should be reviewed together for Meriden, especially when comparing with Kensington, CT.

Population and Demographics

Median age is 38.6, so Meriden may have different school, commute, healthcare, and housing demand patterns than a statewide average. Bachelor+ share is 22.2%, so Meriden education context can be useful when reading labor-market and school sections.

Unemployment is 5.0%, so Meriden wage and job-market context should be compared with commute options and regional employment centers.

Nearby Connecticut comparison pages
PlacePopulationHome valueElectric benchmark
Wallingford Center, CT18,107$292k$0.305/kWh
Kensington, CT9,936$304k$0.305/kWh
Middletown, CT47,646$280k$0.305/kWh
Durham, CT3,508$379k$0.305/kWh

Source Notes

  • City-specific Census ACS values are used when a matching place row exists in the cached city metrics file.
  • Electricity and unemployment fields are state-level EIA and BLS benchmarks, so they are labeled as planning context rather than city quotes.
  • The page should be used as a comparison screen before checking provider rates, parcel records, insurance quotes, school boundaries, and address-level details for Meriden.

Meriden Cost Drill-Down

This dashboard keeps the fast local overview on one page, while the linked category reports go deeper into one decision at a time. For Meriden, the strongest local signals in the current cache are population 60,418, median household income $68,617, median home value $221,600, rent $1,243/mo, property tax paid $4,928, and the Connecticut residential electric benchmark $0.305/kWh.

Meriden category drill-down links and metric context
CategoryPrimary valueSecond valueWhy it matters here
Cost of living $68,617 $221,600 Meriden affordability is mostly a housing-versus-income read: income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching and home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.
Utility costs $0.305/kWh $1,243/mo Meriden utility planning should pair the Connecticut electric benchmark with home size, cooling load, appliance use, and occupancy.
Property taxes $4,928 $222k Meriden tax planning should compare the tax-paid field with home value, exemptions, assessment rules, and parcel-level records.
Insurance costs 38.6 22.2% Meriden insurance context should be read with housing age, replacement cost, roof condition, claim history, and nearby risk patterns.

Budget Fit

Meriden should be read as a smaller-city place where income, home value, rent, taxes, utilities, and insurance need to be checked together. Income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching, and home values sit in a moderate range where taxes and utilities still change the monthly math.

Monthly Bills

The electricity value on this page is a Connecticut state-level EIA benchmark, not a city utility tariff. For Meriden, that benchmark becomes useful when paired with home square footage, cooling load, HVAC age, insulation, and household usage.

Ownership Costs

Median property tax paid is $4,928 and median home value is $221,600. That makes the ownership read stronger than a single price estimate because taxes, insurance, maintenance, and financing terms can move the real monthly cost.

Comparison Angle

Use Kensington, CT as a local comparison before using a broad CT average. The nearby table below keeps the comparison tied to home value, taxes, and electric benchmarks instead of alphabetical city links.

Labor and Demographics

Unemployment is 5.0%, median age is 38.6, and bachelor-plus share is 22.2%. These fields help frame school demand, commute patterns, wage fit, and service-provider availability around Meriden.

Source Discipline

City-specific ACS values are used where the place matches the cache. State-level EIA and BLS fields are labeled as benchmarks, so this page does not pretend those values are address-level or city-utility quotes.

Nearby comparison context for Meriden
PlaceDistanceHome valueProperty taxElectric benchmark
Wallingford Center, CT 6 mi $292k $5,122 $0.305/kWh
Kensington, CT 6 mi $304k $6,003 $0.305/kWh
Middletown, CT 7 mi $280k $6,371 $0.305/kWh
Durham, CT 7 mi $379k $7,420 $0.305/kWh
Portland, CT 9 mi $268k $5,494 $0.305/kWh

Data Freshness

This Meriden, Connecticut dashboard was generated on 2026-06-18. The city metrics cache was refreshed on 2026-06-16; the nearby-city coordinate cache was refreshed on 2026-06-17.

  • City metrics: Census ACS place fields are city-specific where a matching place record exists.
  • State benchmarks: EIA electricity and BLS unemployment values are state-level context, not city provider tariffs or city labor surveys.
  • Nearby comparisons: Distance uses cached Census Gazetteer place coordinates when available.

Regional Data Explorer

Zoom out from Meriden to nearby cities, Connecticut Area, and Connecticut benchmarks.

Open Explorer

Benchmark Preview

Meriden 95.8
Home value
$189k
Property tax
$2,190
Electric rate
$0.154/kWh
County Avg 97.4
Home value
$178k
Property tax
$2,240
Electric rate
$0.158/kWh
CT Avg 101.2
Home value
$286k
Property tax
$3,180
Electric rate
$0.162/kWh

Local Service Cost Guides

Use these contractor-cost guides with the Meriden dashboard to compare local housing, utility, tax, climate, and repair-cost context.

Data note: City-profile values are local estimates for comparison and planning context.