Jobs, pay and daily life in West Haven, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
West Haven is a city in Connecticut with 55,351 residents. The median household earns $74,382 a year and the median rent is $1,442 a month, which is 23.3% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is New Haven, CT (281,410 jobs), about 3 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How West Haven compares. Among the 60 largest places in Connecticut, West Haven is #12 by population, #46 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #45 for remote work (#1 = most), #42 for household income (#1 = highest).
West Haven has 55,351 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.5% of the population of Connecticut. It covers 11 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 5,149 people per square mile. The median age is 35.8, 13% younger than the state median (35.8 against 41.1).
The median gross rent is $1,442 a month (rent plus utilities), 3% below the state median ($1,442 against $1,488). Over a year that is 23.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $291,700, which is 3.9 times the median household income ($74,382); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 50.6% of households own their home, 24% below the state average (50.6% against 66.5%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is New Haven, CT, metropolitan area has 281,410 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $60,060 a year, 18% above the national median ($60,060 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (31,770 jobs, median $56,680); educational instruction and library (26,740 jobs, median $77,390); healthcare practitioners and technical (26,540 jobs, median $98,840). The area is most specialised in educational instruction and library (1.6 times) and healthcare practitioners and technical (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($136,300) and computer and mathematical ($104,640). The ACS estimate of unemployment among residents is 7.3%, 30% above the state estimate (7.3% against 5.6%). 64.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in New Haven County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 72.7% drive alone, 3.0% use public transit, 2.6% walk, 9.2% work from home. 11.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 25% below the state average (11.6% against 15.4%).
30.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28% below the state share (30.5% against 42.5%). 21.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 34% above the state share (21.1% against 15.7%). The poverty rate is 14.1%, 41% above the state rate (14.1% against 10.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.1°C), and the coolest is Jan at 26°F (-3.5°C). About 1,207 mm (48 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (121 mm) and Jan the driest (76 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Orange (3 miles, rent 51% higher); New Haven (3 miles, rent 3% higher); East Haven (6 miles, rent 6% higher); Milford city (6 miles, rent 31% higher). Rent differences are against West Haven; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Connecticut (193) →State guide: ConnecticutCountry guideNew Haven CountyConnecticut rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 193 federal postings open in Connecticut (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Connecticut →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 10,050 | 1.64 | $104,490 | $81,770 | $144,980 | +7% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 9,430 | 1.84 | $43,840 | $35,840 | $43,930 | +17% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,370 | 0.95 | $39,720 | $34,600 | $45,090 | +11% |
| Retail Salespersons | 6,810 | 0.97 | $35,950 | $34,260 | $49,970 | +2% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 6,210 | 1.55 | $37,890 | $34,010 | $60,330 | +3% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 5,900 | 0.85 | $35,290 | $34,010 | $37,730 | +13% |
| General and Operations Managers | 5,750 | 0.91 | $134,450 | $67,300 | $300,200 | +27% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 4,780 | 1.55 | $63,800 | $43,940 | $80,130 | +34% |
| Cashiers | 4,500 | 0.80 | $35,670 | $34,010 | $41,320 | +8% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 4,260 | 1.64 | $78,990 | $53,460 | $108,000 | +14% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,000 | 0.90 | $48,520 | $35,990 | $65,450 | +8% |
| Nursing Assistants | 3,840 | 1.46 | $45,030 | $39,520 | $59,770 | +7% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 3,810 | 0.71 | $45,420 | $35,620 | $54,050 | +13% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,520 | 0.75 | $47,490 | $37,330 | $76,330 | +6% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 3,290 | 0.80 | $37,900 | $34,010 | $63,420 | +8% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 3,160 | 1.23 | $38,020 | $34,010 | $47,520 | +3% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,900 | 0.78 | $61,040 | $47,060 | $78,890 | +4% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 2,900 | 1.17 | $62,890 | $44,980 | $81,740 | +24% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 2,900 | 1.50 | $79,800 | $51,710 | $104,130 | +11% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2,730 | 1.09 | $79,820 | $49,630 | $102,790 | +25% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,110 | 0.91 | $169,720 | $111,690 | $276,990 | -3% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 550 | 1.37 | $167,080 | $109,480 | $220,160 | -2% |
| Financial Managers | 2,030 | 1.33 | $166,990 | $89,990 | $321,640 | +0% |
| Lawyers | 1,280 | 0.94 | $166,080 | $80,570 | $313,820 | +4% |
| Marketing Managers | 550 | 0.77 | $162,190 | $95,110 | $251,650 | -3% |
| Sales Managers | 1,090 | 0.94 | $160,590 | $85,990 | $269,310 | +8% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 710 | 1.19 | $160,050 | $84,930 | $175,970 | +51% |
| Physician Assistants | 740 | 2.51 | $149,960 | $125,350 | $185,920 | +10% |
| Pharmacists | 750 | 1.29 | $141,290 | $106,660 | $171,540 | +0% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 920 | 1.58 | $140,880 | $119,990 | $176,580 | +6% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,040 | 0.92 | $140,590 | $83,280 | $235,300 | -1% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,510 | 1.40 | $136,480 | $86,690 | $288,620 | +10% |
| General and Operations Managers | 5,750 | 0.91 | $134,450 | $67,300 | $300,200 | +27% |
| Construction Managers | 570 | 0.83 | $133,120 | $89,000 | $187,250 | +16% |
| Software Developers | 1,190 | 0.39 | $133,040 | $78,980 | $177,470 | -2% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 710 | 1.48 | $132,830 | $81,120 | $180,880 | +16% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 760 | 0.81 | $106,580 | $78,370 | $156,460 | +1% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 530 | 0.98 | $104,950 | $76,970 | $159,950 | +1% |
| Registered Nurses | 10,050 | 1.64 | $104,490 | $81,770 | $144,980 | +7% |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 650 | 2.09 | $104,310 | $78,380 | $174,950 | +1% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, New Haven, CT, about 3 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $60,060 (US $50,980); unemployment 5.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 30.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.8% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.4% |
| Retail trade | 10.0% |
| Manufacturing | 9.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.3% |
| Other services | 6.2% |
| Construction | 4.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.8% |
| Public administration | 1.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.2% |
| Information | 1.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.2% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where West Haven lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven County | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.7% |
| Public transit | 3.0% |
| Walk | 2.6% |
| Work from home | 9.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 11.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,382 |
| Income per person | $35,740 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,442 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.3% |
| Median home value | $291,700 |
| Homeowners | 50.6% |
| Poverty rate | 14.1% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 104.6 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $60,060 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 6.99%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 87.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 30.5% |
| Born abroad | 21.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 64.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.5 | 26 | 76 |
| Feb | -2.5 | 28 | 81 |
| Mar | 1.7 | 35 | 97 |
| Apr | 8.2 | 47 | 105 |
| May | 14.3 | 58 | 95 |
| Jun | 19.5 | 67 | 118 |
| Jul | 23.1 | 74 | 101 |
| Aug | 22.5 | 72 | 108 |
| Sep | 18.7 | 66 | 106 |
| Oct | 11.8 | 53 | 121 |
| Nov | 5.4 | 42 | 88 |
| Dec | -0.0 | 32 | 111 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | CT | 3 mi | 14,315 | $142,325 | $2,172 |
| New Haven | CT | 3 mi | 134,349 | $56,851 | $1,488 |
| East Haven | CT | 6 mi | 27,806 | $94,628 | $1,528 |
| Milford city | CT | 6 mi | 51,023 | $111,201 | $1,882 |
| Derby | CT | 7 mi | 12,487 | $79,500 | $1,452 |
| Ansonia | CT | 7 mi | 19,033 | $85,877 | $1,476 |
| Branford Center | CT | 8 mi | 6,305 | $74,150 | $1,459 |
| Shelton | CT | 9 mi | 41,889 | $108,185 | $1,741 |
| North Haven | CT | 10 mi | 24,336 | $132,689 | $1,720 |
| Trumbull Center | CT | 11 mi | 10,264 | $123,708 | $2,307 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
55,351 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,442 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.3% of the median household income.
$74,382 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
7.3% (ACS 2020–2024 estimate).
Connecticut. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.