Fairfield County, CT

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Population

949,921

0.608% growth

Median Age

40.4


Median Household Income

$91,198

1.19% growth

Poverty Rate

8.76%


Number of Employees

479,747

0.663% growth

Median Property Value

$425,900

0.638% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Fairfield County, CT had a population of 950k people with a median age of 40.4 and a median household income of $91,198. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Fairfield County, CT grew from 944,177 to 949,921, a 0.608% increase and its median household income grew from $90,123 to $91,198, a 1.19% increase.

The population of Fairfield County, CT is 61.3% White Alone, 19.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 10.4% Black or African American Alone. 30.8% of the people in Fairfield County, CT speak a non-English language, and 87.2% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Fairfield County, CT are Sacred Heart University (2,276 degrees awarded in 2016), Porter and Chester Institute of Stratford (1,676 degrees), and University of Bridgeport (1,669 degrees).

The median property value in Fairfield County, CT is $425,900, and the homeownership rate is 66.8%. Most people in Fairfield County, CT commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 29.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Fairfield County, CT is 2 cars per household.

Photo by Chris Burke

United StatesConnecticutBridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT

Economy

The economy of Fairfield County, CT employs 480k people. The largest industries in Fairfield County, CT are Health Care & Social Assistance (67,286 people), Retail Trade (49,686 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (47,895 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($227,652), Finance & Insurance ($122,523), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($111,421).

Median household income in Fairfield County, CT is $91,198. Males in Fairfield County, CT have an average income that is 1.41 times higher than the average income of females, which is $63,340. The income inequality in Fairfield County, CT (measured using the Gini index) is 0.498, which is higher than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$91,198

2017 value

± $2,340

1.19%

1 Year Growth

± 4.09%

Households in Fairfield County, CT have a median annual income of $91,198, which is more than the median annual income of $60,336 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $90,123 in 2016, which represents a 1.19% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Fairfield County, CT compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Connecticut.

$89,415

Average Male Salary

± $3,191

$63,340

Average Female Salary

± $1,874

In 2017, full-time male employees in Connecticut made 1.41 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Connecticut by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Connecticut.

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $73,419 ± $7,561

  2. White

    $69,530 ± $1,953

  3. American Indian

    $56,255 ± $18,971

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Connecticut workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.06 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Connecticut by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Fairfield County, CT is from Connecticut.

0.498

2017 Wage GINI

0.5

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in Connecticut was 0.498 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.351% decline from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2017 the GINI for Connecticut was higher than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Connecticut in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Connecticut across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Census Tract 352

  2. Census Tract 101.02

  3. Census Tract 301

In 2017, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Fairfield County, CT was Census Tract 352 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 101.02 and Census Tract 301, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Fairfield County, CT colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

8.76% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fairfield County, CT (81.4k out of 929k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 18 - 24.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    43,071 ± 1,509

  2. Hispanic

    32,147 ± 1,357

  3. Black

    17,305 ± 983

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Fairfield County, CT is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

480k

2017 Value

± 11,284

0.663%

1 Year growth

± 3.3%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Fairfield County, CT grew at a rate of 0.663%, from 477k employees to 480k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fairfield County, CT, are Management Occupations (68,525 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (52,390 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (50,880 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fairfield County, CT.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Fairfield County, CT, by number of employees, are Management Occupations (68,525 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (52,390 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (50,880 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Fairfield County, CT has an unusually high number of residents working as Business & Financial Operations Occupations (1.56 times higher than expected), Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance Occupations (1.54 times), and Legal Occupations (1.53 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Fairfield County, CT, by median earnings, are Legal Occupations ($134,759), Management Occupations ($105,798), and Law Enforcement Workers Including Supervisors ($100,738).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

480k

2017 Value

± 11,284

0.663%

1 Year growth

± 3.3%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Fairfield County, CT grew at a rate of 0.663%, from 477k employees to 480k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fairfield County, CT, are Health Care & Social Assistance (67,286 people), Retail Trade (49,686 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (47,895 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fairfield County, CT, though some of these residents may live in Fairfield County, CT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Fairfield County, CT, by number of employees, are Health Care & Social Assistance (67,286 people), Retail Trade (49,686 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (47,895 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Fairfield County, CT has an unusually high number of Management of Companies & Enterprises (2.79 times higher than expected), Finance & Insurance (1.92 times), and Information (1.51 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Fairfield County, CT, by median earnings, are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($227,652), Finance & Insurance ($122,523), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($111,421).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Connecticut to other states, or from other states to Connecticut.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Mixed freight

    $34.1B

  2. Coal-n.e.c.

    $20.4B

  3. Motorized vehicles

    $16.1B

In 2015, the top outbound Connecticut product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $34.1B, followed by Coal-n.e.c. ($20.4B) and Motorized vehicles ($16.1B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Connecticut products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Connecticut state.

$198B

2015 Value

$307B

Projected 2045 Value

54.9% growth

In 2015, total outbound Connecticut trade was $198B. This is expected to increase 54.9% to $307B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Connecticut trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Connecticut to other states, or from other states to Connecticut.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. New York

    $25B

  2. Massachusetts

    $20.8B

  3. New Jersey

    $11.9B

In 2015, the top outbound Connecticut domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was New York with $25B, followed by Massachusetts with $20.8B and New Jersey and $11.9B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Connecticut shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

90.8% of the population of Fairfield County, CT has health coverage, with 51.9% on employee plans, 16% on Medicaid, 11.3% on Medicare, 11.2% on non-group plans, and 0.452% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the county of Fairfield County, CT was $9,859 in 2014. This is a 3.59% increase from the previous year ($9,517).

Primary care physicians in Fairfield County, CT see 1099 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.812% decrease from the previous year (1108 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1084 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 374 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Windham County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (10.3%). Additionally, Windham County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (29.2%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,099 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Fairfield County, CT see an average of 1,099 patients per year. This represents a 0.812% decrease from the previous year (1,108 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Fairfield County, CT in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Connecticut.

$9,859

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$5,187

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$8,058

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$11,964

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Connecticut (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 3.59%, from $9,517 to $9,859.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

9.16%

Uninsured

51.9%

Employer Coverage

16%

Medicaid

11.3%

Medicare

11.2%

Non-Group

0.452%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Fairfield County, CT grew by 17.9% from 7.77% to 9.16%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Fairfield County, CT changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Windham County

    10.3% prevalence

  2. Hartford County

    9.5% prevalence

  3. New Haven County

    9% prevalence

Windham County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Connecticut, at 10.3%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Connecticut by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Fairfield County, CT is home to a population of 950k people, from which 87.2% are citizens. As of 2017, 21.7% of Fairfield County, CT residents were born outside of the country (206k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Fairfield County, CT is composed of 583k White Alone residents (61.3%), 189k Hispanic or Latino residents (19.9%), 98.6k Black or African American Alone residents (10.4%), 51.7k Asian Alone residents (5.44%), 19.7k Two or More Races residents (2.07%), 6.4k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.674%), 1.71k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.179%), and 58 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.00611%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Fairfield County, CT are Spanish (152,014 speakers), Portuguese (22,477 speakers), and Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (10,597 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

38

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.6

44

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.8

In 2017, the median age of all people in Fairfield County, CT was 40.4. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 38, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 44. But people in Fairfield County, CT are getting staying the same age. In 2016, the average age of all Fairfield County, CT residents was 40.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

21.7%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

206k people

21.1%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

199k people

As of 2017, 21.7% of Fairfield County, CT residents (206k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Fairfield County, CT was 21.1%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Fairfield County, CT compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Connecticut.

Most Common Origin

  1. Jamaica

    40,088 ± 4,888 people

  2. India

    33,638 ± 4,482 people

  3. Mexico

    32,434 ± 4,402 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Connecticut was Jamaica, the natal country of 40,088 Connecticut residents, followed by India with 33,638 and Mexico with 32,434.

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Citizenship

87.2%

2017 Citizenship

88.6%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 87.2% of Fairfield County, CT residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.1%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Fairfield County, CT was 88.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Fairfield County, CT compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    583k ± 2.62k

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    189k ± 10.9k

  3. Black or African American Alone

    98.6k ± 3.31k

In 2017, there were 3.08 times more White Alone residents (583k people) in Fairfield County, CT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 189k Hispanic or Latino and 98.6k Black or African American Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Fairfield County, CT as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish

    152,014 speakers (16.9%)

  2. Portuguese

    22,477 speakers (2.5%)

  3. Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)

    10,597 speakers (1.18%)

30.8% of Fairfield County, CT citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is higher than the national average of 21.8%. In 2017, the most common non-English language spoken in Fairfield County, CT was Spanish. 16.9% of the overall population of Fairfield County, CT are native Spanish speakers. 2.5% speak Portuguese and 1.18% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    11,943 ± 1,561

  2. Korea

    4,417 ± 767

  3. World War II

    2,596 ± 742

Fairfield County, CT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.7 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2016, universities in Fairfield County, CT awarded 11,124 degrees. The student population of Fairfield County, CT is skewed towards women, with 17,134 male students and 24,541 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Fairfield County, CT are White (5,834 and 58.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (1,557 and 15.6%), Black or African American (1,378 and 13.8%), and Unknown (729 and 7.3%).

The largest universities in Fairfield County, CT by number of degrees awarded are Sacred Heart University (2,276 and 20.5%), Porter and Chester Institute of Stratford (1,676 and 15.1%), and University of Bridgeport (1,669 and 15%).

The most popular majors in Fairfield County, CT are Registered Nursing (730 and 6.56%), Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (483 and 4.34%), and General Studies (463 and 4.16%).

The median tuition costs in Fairfield County, CT are $33,800 for private four year colleges, and $8,220 and $24,949 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Psychology

    377 degrees awarded

  2. Registered Nursing

    374 degrees awarded

  3. General Finance

    264 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Fairfield County, CT was General Psychology with 377 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Fairfield County, CT according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. Sacred Heart University

    2,276 degrees awarded

  2. Porter and Chester Institute of Stratford

    1,676 degrees awarded

  3. University of Bridgeport

    1,669 degrees awarded

$8,220

Median In-State Public

$33,800

Median Private

In 2016, the Fairfield County, CT institution with the largest number of graduating students was Sacred Heart University with 2,276 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

4,929

Degrees Awarded to Men

6,195

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2016, 4,929 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Fairfield County, CT, which is 0.796 times less than the 6,195 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Fairfield County, CT by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    5,834 degrees awarded

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    1,557 degrees awarded

  3. Black or African American

    1,378 degrees awarded

In 2016 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Fairfield County, CT were to White students. These 5,834 degrees mean that there were 3.75 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,557 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Fairfield County, CT was $425,900 in 2017, which is 1.96 times larger than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $423,200 to $425,900, a 0.638% increase. The homeownership rate in Fairfield County, CT is 66.8%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Fairfield County, CT have an average commute time of 29.7 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Fairfield County, CT is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Income

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$91,198

Median Household Income

± $2,340

336k

Number of Households

± 8,856

In 2017, the median household income of the 336k households in Fairfield County, CT grew to $91,198 from the previous year's value of $90,123.

The following chart displays the households in Fairfield County, CT distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

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Housing

Property Value

$425,900

2017 Median

± $10,235

$423,200

2016 Median

± $10,750

In 2017, the median property value in Fairfield County, CT grew to to $425,900 from the previous year's value of $423,200.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Fairfield County, CT compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Fairfield County, CT the largest share of households have a property value in the $300k - $400k range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Fairfield County, CT distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Fairfield County, CT the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

66.8%

2017 Homeownership

65.3%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 66.8% of the housing units in Fairfield County, CT were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65.3%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Fairfield County, CT compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Fairfield County, CT distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Fairfield County, CT have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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Commute Time

29.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Fairfield County, CT have a longer commute time (29.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.5 minutes). Additionally, 7.11% of the workforce in Fairfield County, CT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Fairfield County, CT compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    72.3%

  2. Public Transit

    10%

  3. Carpooled

    7.98%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Fairfield County, CT was Drove Alone (72.3%), followed by those who Public Transit (10%) and those who Carpooled (7.98%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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