Danbury vs Waterbury
The short version
- Waterbury is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 7% lower than in the Danbury area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $208,500 in Waterbury and $411,200 in Danbury.
- Households earn more in Danbury ($83,393 vs $51,886 median).
- Danbury gets far more snow: 49 inches a year vs 39.
Side by side
| Danbury, CT | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 89,033 | 115,771 |
| Growth since 2020 | +2.5% | +1.2% |
| People per square mile | 2,118 | 4,054 |
| Median age | 40.6 | 37.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 17% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $83,393 | $51,886 |
| Median home value | $411,200 | $208,500 |
| Home value to income | 4.9× | 4.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,846 | $1,225 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 106.9 | 99.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 150.5 | 89.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $80,100 | $74,800 |
| Homeowners | 54% | 47% |
| Top state income tax | 6.99% | 6.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.35% | 6.35% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 29.9 | 28.0 |
| Work from home | 13% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.5% | 9.3% |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% | 24.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 18° | 37° / 19° |
| July high / low | 82° / 62° | 84° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 48 in | 45 in |
| Snowfall per year | 49 in | 39 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 8 | 15 |
| Nights below freezing | 134 | 129 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | n/a | n/a |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | n/a | n/a |
| Good air days, 2025 | 65% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +5.1% | +3.9% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53.3% | +55.2% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Danbury: May to July. Waterbury: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Danbury weather by month and Waterbury weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $80,100 in Danbury and $74,800 in Waterbury. Moving from Danbury to Waterbury, you would need about $70,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Danbury and Waterbury
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Danbury and Waterbury.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.