Stamford vs Norwalk
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $558,000 in Norwalk and $624,400 in Stamford.
Side by side
| Stamford, CT | Norwalk, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 139,535 | 94,508 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3% | +3.6% |
| People per square mile | 3,708 | 4,129 |
| Median age | 38.4 | 40.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52% | 45% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $111,586 | $107,616 |
| Median home value | $624,400 | $558,000 |
| Home value to income | 5.6× | 5.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,276 | $2,073 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 106.9 | 106.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 150.5 | 150.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $80,100 | $80,100 |
| Homeowners | 49% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 6.99% | 6.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.35% | 6.35% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.5 | 27.1 |
| Work from home | 19% | 15% |
| Take public transit | 10% | 7% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| Poverty rate | 10.1% | 9.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 38° / 22° | 38° / 24° |
| July high / low | 85° / 64° | 83° / 68° |
| Precipitation per year | 52 in | 44 in |
| Snowfall per year | 34 in | 34 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 18 | 9 |
| Nights below freezing | 119 | 92 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 6 |
| 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% | 65% |
| Home prices, past year | +5.1% | +5.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53.3% | +53.3% |
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: Stamford: May and July to August. Norwalk: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Stamford weather by month and Norwalk 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 Stamford and $80,100 in Norwalk. Moving from Stamford to Norwalk, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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