Census-designated place · Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut

Putnam, Connecticut

Putnam is a census-designated place in Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, part of the Putnam, CT metro area. It has 7,120 residents. Putnam, Connecticut has a quality-of-life score of 40 out of 100 (low), ranking #9,458 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Connecticut it ranks #156 of 160 cities and towns. It ranks best on students per teacher (low), public libraries (high) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (low). It ranks worst on child care cost burden (high), new business applications (low) and hospital quality rating (low).

40Low

Quality-of-life score: #9,458 of 15,651 cities and towns
Connecticut: #156 of 160 in CT
Population: 7,120 (2020-2024)
Land area: 4 mi²
Density: 1,826.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 0962640

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety53#7,271/15,637
Economy31#10,716/15,631
Housing49#7,608/14,977
Health40#9,423/15,609
Healthcare48#8,183/15,650
Environment76#3,751/15,453
Education41#9,207/15,649
Infrastructure22#12,165/15,650
Community39#9,578/15,651
Leisure & amenities43#8,867/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Putnam, Connecticut ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Students per teacher · low10.9×
94/100Connecticut 11.9×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsNortheastern Connecticut Planning Region value
Public libraries · high2.0 /10k
92/100Connecticut 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesNortheastern Connecticut Planning Region value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.8 µg/m³
91/100Connecticut 6.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region value
Median Air Quality Index · low35
84/100Connecticut 422025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region value
Dental care shortage · low0.0
84/100Connecticut 3.5United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationNortheastern Connecticut Planning Region value
Hot days · low6 days
81/100Connecticut 9 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region value

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high41.7%
5/100Connecticut 39.8%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region value
New business applications · low8.1 /1k
7/100Connecticut 13.5 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauNortheastern Connecticut Planning Region value
Hospital quality rating · low2.0
9/100Connecticut 3.4United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesNortheastern Connecticut Planning Region value
Time spent in the emergency room · high221 min
12/100Connecticut 190 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesNortheastern Connecticut Planning Region value
Broadband subscriptions · low84.8%
16/100Connecticut 92.2%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Frequent mental distress · high20.3%
18/100Connecticut 17.2%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
6,615 (2015-2019) → 7,120 (2020-2024)
+7.6%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
22.7% (2015-2019) → 11.4% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
90.1% (2015-2019) → 84.5% (2020-2024)
−5.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
42.3% (2015-2019) → 38.2% (2020-2024)
−4.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.1× (2015-2019) → 3.7× (2020-2024)
+19%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
80.9% (2015-2019) → 84.8% (2020-2024)
+3.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Putnam, Connecticut improved on 0 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 12 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Putnam, Connecticut between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	23.1 min2015-2019	25.1 min2020-2024	+2.0 min	Within the margin of error	27%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.9%2015-2019	18.8%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Broadband subscriptions	80.9%2015-2019	84.8%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Effective property tax rate	1.33%2015-2019	1.34%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	16%
High school diploma or higher	90.1%2015-2019	84.5%2020-2024	−5.6 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	3.7×2020-2024	+0.6×	Within the margin of error	41%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4222015-2019	0.4242020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	49%
Median household income	$56,4922015-2019	$65,5112020-2024	+16%	Within the margin of error	25%
Poverty rate	10.1%2015-2019	11.7%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Rent as share of income	26.2%2015-2019	27.0%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Rent-burdened households	42.3%2015-2019	38.2%2020-2024	−4.1 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.5%2015-2019	5.6%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	68%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Putnam, Connecticut five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Putnam, Connecticut in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Putnam, Connecticut itself moved −9.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

7,120 residents (±317)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 women (+3.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

7,120 residents (±317)

Putnam, Connecticut
Connecticut share

White83%5,890
Black1.1%†76
Hispanic or Latino8.0%†567
Asian1.3%†95
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%†12
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races6.7%†480

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−7.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

5,264 residents (±288)

Putnam, Connecticut
Connecticut share

No high school diploma16%817
High school or GED36%1,875
Some college22%1,163
Associate degree8.0%†421
Bachelor's degree12%615
Graduate degree7.1%†373

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: No high school diploma (+5.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

3,289 households (±238)

Putnam, Connecticut
Connecticut share

Under $25k19%†617
$25k–50k18%592
$50k–75k20%668
$75k–100k12%†399
$100k–150k21%679
$150k–200k6.1%†202
$200k or more4.0%†132

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+9.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

3,289 households (±238)

Putnam, Connecticut
Connecticut share

Own51%1,668
Rent49%1,621

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,575 households (±256)

Putnam, Connecticut
Connecticut share

Under $75014%†215
$750–1,00014%†219
$1,000–1,50057%†893

Home values

1,668 homes (±186)

Putnam, Connecticut
Connecticut share

Under $150k8.1%†135
$150k–250k45%743
$250k–400k39%655

Age of homes

3,486 homes (±255)

Putnam, Connecticut
Connecticut share

2010 or later3.0%†105
2000–20095.9%†207
1980–199916%†568

Size of homes

3,486 homes (±255)

Putnam, Connecticut
Connecticut share

Studio1.9%†66
1 bedroom16%†543
2 bedrooms41%1,443

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

3,596 workers (±375)

Putnam, Connecticut
Connecticut share

Drive alone82%2,935
Carpool9.6%†344
Public transit0.5%†19
Walk0.0%0
Bike1.4%†49
Work from home6.7%†241
Other0.2%†8

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Walk (−3.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

3,355 workers (±374)

Putnam, Connecticut
Connecticut share

Under 15 min38%1,283
15–29 min23%779
30–44 min25%853

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Putnam, CT

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, the county holding most of Putnam's residents.

Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region has 1,751 employer establishments, 181 for every 10,000 residents (0.73× the US rate of 248; 0.74× Connecticut's), with 25,003 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,970. The Census Bureau also counts 6,655 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,751; 6,655 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 181; US 248 · Connecticut 245
Paid employees: 25,003
Average annual pay: $50,970; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	162	16.7	1.08×About typical	698	$68,438	693
Restaurants and other eating places	154	15.9	0.87×About typical	2,215	$23,921	22
Ambulatory health care services	110	11.4	0.55×Fewer than typical	1,222	$68,425	348
Building equipment contractors	76	7.9	1.30×More than typical	234	$64,316	128
Full-service restaurants	68	7	0.91×About typical	1,137	$26,630	11
Services to buildings and dwellings	67	6.9	1.03×About typical	172	$45,047	362
Limited-service restaurants	50	5.2	0.64×Fewer than typical	759	$19,921	8
Religious organizations	50	5.2	0.93×About typical	200	$20,875	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	46	4.8	0.94×About typical	181	$43,061	87
Construction of buildings	46	4.8	0.63×Fewer than typical	143	$50,420	241
Landscaping services	46	4.8	1.36×More than typical	95	$57,337	175
Electrical contractors and wiring installation	44	4.5	1.84×More than typical	147	$64,816	70

Rank places for an industry Open Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 96,790 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated -$5,146 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Putnam, Connecticut: -$0.72 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: -$5,146; −163% vs FY2025
Per resident: -$0.72; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

HARDING COMPANY, LLC-$5,1460.0%

Spending by fiscal year

368.1FY2018
616.4FY2019
96.2FY2021
211.7FY2022
8.2KFY2025
-5.1KFY2026

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Putnam, Connecticut, so they do not add up across cities.

Putnam, Connecticut's figures are part of those of Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT ($3M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Putnam is mostly in Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region.

See federal money in Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Putnam, Connecticut is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Joe CourtneyD-CT-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 96%Missed 4.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region78100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Putnam, CT80

Other cities and towns in Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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