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Cost of living, pay and housing

41.29° N · 72.35° W · GEOID 0957390

Old Saybrook Center

Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · part of the Hartford, CT metro

Computed by Citytistics from 13 public sources · Data bundle checked 2026-11-14 · How we calculate

Limited data population under 5,000

ConnecticutOld Saybrook Center, CTOld Saybrook CenterOld Saybrook Center

The short answer

Old Saybrook Center is home to 1,659 people. Median household income is $93,875 a year and median rent is $1,414 a month, 18.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $466,100, about 5.0x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,414
4% above the median place
Median household income
$93,875
17% above the median place
Median home value
$466,100
46% above the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Old Saybrook Center

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 9.6% a year while rent rose 0.5%, so pay gained on rent more than in 97% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 65 Connecticut places.
  • Households average 1.71 people, smaller than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 65 Connecticut places.
  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 52 Connecticut places.
  • The median resident is 62.5 years old, older than in 98% of places its size. It is the highest of 65 Connecticut places.
  • 27% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 89% of places its size.
01

Moving to Old Saybrook Center

Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region gains about 0.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in7,787
Moved out7,716
Net+71

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Capitol Planning Region, CT2,0461,847+199
South Central Connecticut Plannin, CT1,5741,100+474
Southeastern Connecticut Planning, CT656727−71
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT437354+83
Western Connecticut Planning Regi, CT166116+50
Greater Bridgeport Planning Regio, CT116
Suffolk County, MA94
New York County, NY87

Within Connecticut, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within ConnecticutOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$87K
Leavers$88K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.4% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region report $86,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $88,400.
Income you would need
$56,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,414 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,386 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $466,100.
Getting to work
26 minutes each way on average; 27.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Pinehurst, NC matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving out6
$88,409
26% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$86,604
23% above the median place
Moved from another state1
2.4%
19% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureOld Saybrook CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.4%11% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.4%19% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure0.5above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$86,60423% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$88,40926% above
02

What it costs to live here

Property tax paid (median) is $5,405, 66% above the median place.

Old Saybrook Center18.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$56,560
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
18.1%
11% below the median place
Home price to income
5.0x
31% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
18%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$76,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Old Saybrook Center, $1,414 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Old Saybrook Center, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Margate City, NJ13.3% vs 18.1%$30,800Compare
Bigfork, MT14.3% vs 18.1%n/aCompare
Frankenmuth, MI12.0% vs 18.1%$2,000Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Old Saybrook Center.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Old Saybrook Center? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$5,405
66% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
57.0%
13% above the median place
Median home value1
$466,100
46% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureOld Saybrook CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,4144% above
Rent to income118.1%11% below
Property tax rate11.2%27% above
Home price to income15.0x31% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure102.82% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,93320% above
Property tax paid (median)1$5,40566% above
Median home value1$466,10046% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure5.6%75% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure60.3%17% above
Homeownership174.3%12% above
Renters paying 30%+157.0%13% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,38627% above
Vacant homes1County figure10.7%52% above
Median year built119770% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$96,054
140% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureOld Saybrook CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$93,87517% above
Income per person1$96,054140% above
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay5County figure$73,24111% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure4.1%11% above
Jobs5County figure74,36751% below
Poverty rate1County figure6.8%37% below
Mean commute1County figure26 min4% above
Works from home127.1%118% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Household size is 1.7, 32% below the median place.

Household size1
1.7
32% below the median place
Median age1
62.5
60% above the median place
High school or higher1
97.7%
6% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureOld Saybrook CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,6596646th largest
Median age162.560% above
Bachelor's or higher158.5%82% above
High school or higher197.7%6% above
Household size11.732% below
Born abroad1County figure8.2%7% below
No health insurance1County figure3.3%48% below
Homes with broadband190.6%2% below
05

Life in Old Saybrook Center

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents48.2 4.7×
Playgrounds per 10k12.1 +28%
Grocery stores per 10k12.1 5.7×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.4 8.1×
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.5 2.4×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars25.7 +24%
Shops38.0 +25%
Arts, recreation and fitness7.1 +73%
Doctors' offices and clinics19.1 −5%
Child care centers2.8 +22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Students per teacher9
11.2
27% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7
7.1
73% above the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k7
25.7
24% above the median place
All 15 schools and local life measures
MeasureOld Saybrook CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure57above (median 9)
Public school students9County figure19,075290% above
Students per teacher9County figure11.227% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure25.724% above
Shops per 10k7County figure38.025% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure7.173% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure19.15% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.822% above
Parks per 10k848.2374% above
Playgrounds per 10k812.128% above
Grocery stores per 10k812.1above (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k890.4above (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi80.5143% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 42.2, 53% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Old Saybrook Center. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk10
42.2
53% below the median place
Tornado risk10
43.3
47% below the median place
Natural hazard risk10
83.8
9% below the median place
All 7 weather and risk measures
MeasureOld Saybrook CenterAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Natural hazard risk10County figure83.89% below
Hurricane risk10County figure87.724% above
Tornado risk10County figure43.347% below
Wildfire risk10County figure43.629% below
Heat wave risk10County figure42.253% below
Median air quality index11Metro figure422% below
Good air days11Metro figure66.6%3% below
08

Old Saybrook Center in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 18% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 18% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,414/mo (2024)$1,780/mo$1,460 to $2,170/mo+3.9%
Median household income$93,875 (2024)$121,500$102,500 to $144,000+4.4%
Median home value$466,100 (2024)$630,000$458,000 to $868,000+5.2%

The median home would be worth 5.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.0 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Old Saybrook Center

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Pinehurst, NC$1,664$109,802Compare
Brigantine, NJ$1,517$97,250Compare
Litchfield Beach, SC$1,704$76,351Compare
Cocoa Beach, FL$1,569$87,990Compare
Cocoa Beach, FLLitchfield Beach, SCBrigantine, NJPinehurst, NCOld Saybrook Center, CTOld Saybrook CenterPinehurstBrigantineLitchfield BeachCocoa BeachOld Saybrook CenterPinehurstBrigantineLitchfield BeachCocoa Beach

Common questions

Is Old Saybrook Center a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 9.6% a year while rent rose 0.5%, so pay gained on rent more than in 97% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 65 Connecticut places. Households average 1.71 people, smaller than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 65 Connecticut places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Old Saybrook Center expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 18.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $466,100.

What salary do you need to live in Old Saybrook Center?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $56,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Old Saybrook Center?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Pinehurst, NC, Brigantine, NJ, Litchfield Beach, SC and Cocoa Beach, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  11. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Old Saybrook Center with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Old Saybrook Center itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/old-saybrook-center-connecticut

Citytistics. “Old Saybrook Center, Connecticut.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/old-saybrook-center-connecticut/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.