Connecticut Housing Accessibility & Affordability County Fact Sheets

After growing through most of the past decade, Connecticut’s population is projected to decline over the next two decades, reflecting three key demographic trends:

• relatively more migration out of the state than into it
• an aging population
• a decline in the white population

Although the total number of households with very low incomes will decline through 2040, the decrease will not be enough to close the critical affordability gap the state faces. To fill the 87,000-unit gap in affordable housing for households with very low incomes, Connecticut must address several challenges. These include decreased housing construction rates and expiring Section 8 project-based rental assistance, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and other forms of assistance.

Housing that is accessible to people with disabilities is also a need: the number of households that includes someone with a disability is projected to increase 22 percent by 2035.

As Connecticut’s closest county to New York City, Fairfield County faces distinctive housing challenges tied to its labor market connections and wealth distribution. The county has some of the highest shares of Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities in the state. These groups (mostly renters) face an expensive housing market and shoulder high cost burdens.

County residents with very low incomes (30 percent or less of the county median) face a limited amount of housing affordable to them, as there are about 25,000 more of these households than units they can afford. Housing that is accessible to people with disabilities is also a need: the number of county households that include someone with a disability is projected to increase 24 percent by 2035.

Given the disparate housing conditions in the Connecticut capital of Hartford and its surrounding suburbs, Hartford County faces various housing challenges and opportunities. The county has some of the highest shares of Black, Indigenous, and people of color populations in the state, but these groups (mostly renters) face an expensive housing market and shoulder high housing cost burdens.

Although Hartford County has some of the highest numbers of rental units affordable to households with mid-to-low incomes, virtually no unassisted or naturally occurring affordable units are affordable to households with very low incomes (30 percent or less of the county median). Housing that is accessible to people with disabilities is also a need: the number of county households that include someone with a disability is projected to increase 20 percent by 2035.

Since 2011, Litchfield County, Connecticut, has experienced consistent population loss and increased vacancy rates for rental properties. The county has also faced rent increases for multifamily units at a rate that exceeds the production rates for new homes.

County residents with very low incomes (30 percent or less of the county median) face a limited amount of housing affordable to them, as there are about 2,100 more of these households than units they can afford. Housing that is accessible to people with disabilities is also a need: the number of county households that include someone with a disability is projected to increase 24 percent by 2035.

Middlesex County, Connecticut, experienced some population loss from 2011 to 2017 but has started growing again. The county has also seen a falling housing production rate, an increase in vacancy rates for multifamily housing units, and rent increases for multifamily housing units at a rate that exceeds the production of new units.

County residents with very low incomes (30 percent or less of the county median) face a limited amount of housing affordable to them, as there are about 3,000 more of these households than units they can afford. Housing that is accessible to people with disabilities is also a need: the number of county households that include someone with a disability is projected to increase 18 percent by 2035.

New Haven County has some of Connecticut’s highest shares of Black, Indigenous, and people of color populations. These households (mostly renters) face an expensive housing market and shoulder high housing cost burdens. Additionally, New Haven County has higher housing cost burden rates and higher severe housing cost burden rates across all income bands. Since 2001, New Haven County has had a marked decrease in housing production overall but an increase in the production of multifamily housing with five or more units. However, the increase in average monthly rent for 5+ unit multifamily buildings continues to outpace growth in the production of these homes.

County residents with very low incomes (30 percent or less of the county median) face a limited amount of housing affordable to them, as there are about 25,000 more of these households than units they can afford. Housing that is accessible to people with disabilities is also a need: the number of county households that include someone with a disability is projected to increase 23 percent by 2035.

New London County has some of the largest disparities between white homeownership and Black and Latino homeownership in Connecticut: about 70 percent of white households own their homes, while about 70 percent of Black and Latino households rent their homes. The number of white people living in New London County has decreased, while the number of Black and Latino residents has increased.

County residents with very low incomes (30 percent or less of the county median) face a limited amount of housing affordable to them, as there are about 3,800 more of these households than units they can afford. Housing that is accessible to people with disabilities is also a need: the number of county households that include someone with a disability is projected to increase 20 percent by 2035.

Tolland County, Connecticut, has faced some population loss since 2011 but has still grown overall since 2001, with the Latino population more than doubling in that period. Although Tolland County’s housing production dropped from 2001 to 2010, housing production has increased since 2010. The county’s notable increase in production of multifamily housing with five or more units makes it one of the few counties in Connecticut where unit production has exceeded rent increases since 2007.

County residents with very low incomes (30 percent or less of the county median) face a limited amount of housing affordable to them, as there are about 2,200 more of these households than units they can afford. Housing that is accessible to people with disabilities is also a need: the number of county households that include someone with a disability is projected to increase 21 percent by 2035.

Windham County faced some of the most considerable population losses in Connecticut from 2011 to 2017. Since 2017, however, it has experienced a steady increase, and the population has surpassed 2011 levels, mostly as a result of an increase in immigrants from outside the US. As a result, Windham County’s Latino population share is larger than most other counties that do not contain a major city.

County residents with very low incomes (30 percent or less of the county median) face a limited amount of housing affordable to them, as there are about 900 more of these households than units they can afford. Housing that is accessible to people with disabilities is also a need: the number of county households that include someone with a disability is projected to increase 26 percent by 2035.