Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety90#94/924
Economy83#162/925
Housing12#817/925
Health93#64/925
Healthcare98#17/923
Environment39#561/917
Education88#109/925
Infrastructure89#105/925
Community80#185/925
Leisure & amenities91#87/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Average weekly wage · high$1,601
98/100Connecticut $1,750United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Firearm deaths · low5.6 /100k
97/100Connecticut 4.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · high2.5%
96/100Connecticut 3.3%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Adult smoking · low10.9%
95/100Connecticut 11.3%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Access to exercise opportunities · high93.1%
95/100Connecticut 93.3%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Median household income · high$95,118
94/100Connecticut $95,670United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013

Weaknesses

Effective property tax rate · high1.83%
3/100Connecticut 1.54%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
High ozone days · high8 days
4/100Connecticut 10 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · high40.0%
7/100Connecticut 39.8%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Days with unhealthy air · high3.0%
10/100Connecticut 3.5%2025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Severe housing problems · high16.0%
23/100Connecticut 17.4%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · high30.9%
25/100Connecticut 31.4%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Trends

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

Child care cost burdenWorsening
23.5% (2020 & 2021) → 40.0% (2023 & 2024)
+16 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 16% (Nov 2025–Oct 2026)
+16 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
24.3% (Dec 2021) → 35.7% (Aug 2026)
+11 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
41.3 /100k (2021) → 21.1 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−49%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Homicide rateImproving
4.6 /100k (2021) → 3.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−35%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
84.7% (2015-2019) → 91.7% (2020-2024)
+6.9 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, Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area improved on 8 of 22 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 5 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved8

Unemployment−3.9 points7.9% → 4.0%
Overdose deaths−45%38.3 /100k → 21.1 /100k
Bachelor's++3.6 points39.1% → 42.7%
Airport−2 mi17 mi → 16 mi
Homicides−25%4.0 /100k → 3.0 /100k

Declined5

Uninsured+0.6 points4.4% → 5.1%
Traffic deaths+16%7.7 /100k → 9.0 /100k
Suicides+11%10.1 /100k → 11.2 /100k
Rent / income+0.9 points30.0% → 30.9%
Price / income+0.3×3.2× → 3.5×

All 22 measures

Change of every measure of Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.2 min2015-2019	24.0 min2020-2024	−0.3 min	Within the margin of error	72%
Bachelor's degree or higher	39.1%2015-2019	42.7%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Improved	70%
Broadband subscriptions	84.7%2015-2019	91.7%2020-2024	+6.9 points	Improved	23%
Child poverty rate	12.7%2015-2019	12.2%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Distance to an airport	17 mi2020	16 mi2025	−2 mi	Improved	97%
Drug overdose deaths	38.3 /100k2020	21.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−45%	Improved	74%
Effective property tax rate	2.14%2015-2019	1.83%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	91%
Firearm deaths	5.7 /100k2020	5.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−1.9%	Little change	53%
High school diploma or higher	90.9%2015-2019	92.1%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Improved	33%
Home price to income ratio	3.2×2015-2019	3.5×2020-2024	+0.3×	Declined	69%
Homicide rate	4.0 /100k2020	3.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−25%	Improved	49%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4642015-2019	0.4662020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	49%
Median household income	$77,7692015-2019	$95,1182020-2024	+22%	Improved	24%
Poverty rate	9.9%2015-2019	9.8%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	−3.3%	Little change	35%
Public transit commuters	2.8%2015-2019	2.5%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	53%
Rent as share of income	30.0%2015-2019	30.9%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Declined	40%
Rent-burdened households	49.9%2015-2019	51.6%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Suicide rate	10.1 /100k2020	11.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+11%	Declined	37%
Traffic deaths	7.7 /100k2015-2019	9.0 /100k2020-2024	+16%	Declined	33%
Unemployment rate	7.9%2020	4.0%2025	−3.9 points	Improved	77%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.4%2015-2019	5.1%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Declined	25%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area 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, Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area itself moved +0.6 points in standing on average over the same 21 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

1,153,112 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

465,181 households (±1,406)

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area
United States share

Under $25k13%58,764
$25k–50k14%64,476
$50k–75k13%62,632

Homes

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

Owners and renters

465,181 households (±1,406)

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area
United States share

Own67%313,190
Rent33%151,991

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Rent (−1.0 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

583,492 workers (±3,217)

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area
United States share

Drive alone70%408,370
Carpool7.3%42,630
Public transit2.5%14,510

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT employ 126,270 people. 10 pay a median above the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides19,230 jobs	19,230	$39,620US $35,800	+11%	1.16×
Retail Salespersons14,380 jobs	14,380

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.

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT has 28,131 employer establishments, 243 for every 10,000 residents (0.98× the US rate of 248), with 539,213 paid employees at an average annual pay of $71,374. The Census Bureau also counts 93,569 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 28,131; 93,569 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 243; US 248
Paid employees: 539,213
Average annual pay: $71,374; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	2,647	22.9	1.10×About typical	38,236	$81,399	5,686
Restaurants and other eating places	2,368	20.4	1.11×About typical	37,572	$25,018	479
Specialty trade contractors	1,720	14.9	0.96×About typical	16,693	$84,259	5,768
Full-service restaurants	1,073	9.3	1.21×About typical	19,450	$28,591	168
Services to buildings and dwellings	938	8.1	1.20×About typical	8,651	$42,863	3,870
Offices of physicians	904	7.8	1.21×About typical	16,493	$109,969	962
Limited-service restaurants	902	7.8	0.97×About typical	12,271	$22,639	230
Lessors of real estate	800	6.9	0.56×Fewer than typical	4,227	$64,723	10,741
Building equipment contractors	768	6.6	1.10×About typical	8,715	$86,972	1,133
Personal care services	766	6.6	1.39×More than typical	3,311	$28,759	3,824
Offices of other health practitioners	692	6	0.98×About typical	4,678	$50,776	3,208
Legal services	635	5.5	1.02×About typical	4,754	$100,882	1,015

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,158,194 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $4.2B on contracts performed in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area: $3,608 per resident (US $2,008).

Obligations: $4.2B; −45% vs FY2025
Per resident: $3,608; US $2,008
Sole-source: 91%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.4%; US 8.7%

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

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$2.3B54%
Department of the Air Force$1B24%
Defense Contract Management Agency$489.2M12%
Defense Logistics Agency$249.6M5.9%
Department of the Army$66.3M1.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs$24.6M0.6%
U.S. Coast Guard$19M0.4%
Public Buildings Service$12M0.3%

Top recipients

RTX CORPORATION$3.8B91%
HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION$113.2M2.7%
TRIUMPH ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEMS LLC$26.5M0.6%
COLT'S MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LLC$20.1M0.5%
REGAN TECHNOLOGIES CORP$18.6M0.4%

Spending by fiscal year

8.7MFY2017
885.4MFY2018
831.7MFY2019
97.9MFY2020
671MFY2021
279.9MFY2022
769.3MFY2023
2.1B

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$3.5B82%
Support activities for air transportation · 4881$516.8M12%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$67.7M1.6%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$29.2M0.7%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$18.7M0.4%
Building equipment contractors · 2382

Largest awards

LOT 15 FMS-1 F135 CTOL PROP SYSTEM$7.5B
RTX CORPORATION· Capitol Planning Region, CT· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Mar 23, 2020 – Feb 11, 2026· N0001920C0011
FY21 PBL2$4.9B
RTX CORPORATION· Capitol Planning Region, CT· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Nov 30, 2020 – Apr 2, 2026· N0001921C0011
LOT 18 PNR/TOOLING$2.8B
RTX CORPORATION· Capitol Planning Region, CT· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 28, 2023 – May 20, 2026· N0001923C0030
F119 ENGINE SUSTAINMENT$1.6B

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $87.9B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area: $75,013 per resident (US $12,990).

Assistance · FY2026: $87.9B; −0.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $75,013; US $12,990
Loan face value: $371.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$37B42%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$23.6B27%
93.770 · Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage$19.4B22%
96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$5.2B5.9%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$500.8M0.6%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$379.5M0.4%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$356.6M0.4%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$323.4M0.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

STATE OF CONN DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING$213.6M0.2%
HARTFORD, CT
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT$93.3M0.1%
STORRS MANSFIELD, CT
BOARD OF TRUSTEE OF COMMUNITY-TECHNICAL COLLEGE$85.3M0.1%
HARTFORD, CT
CITY OF HARTFORD$82.1M0.1%
HARTFORD, CT
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HEALTH CENTER

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$80B91%
Department of Health and Human Services
Social Security Administration$6.3B7.1%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$445.7M0.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$351.4M0.4%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

-423.1KFY2022
261.1MFY2023
22.2BFY2024
88.4BFY2025
87.9BFY2026
0FY2027

County aggregates

99%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 2026 · FY2022–FY2027.

Counties in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Connecticut

Areas based in Connecticut, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-10-06
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M25540

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved8

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Connecticut

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved8

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought