The 20 most affordable cities in Connecticut to buy a house

Homeownership is fundamental to the American dream. It offers wealth, security, community, and countless other benefits. Yet for many Connecticut residents, the dream feels increasingly out of reach—even as incomes rise and mortgage rates fall. Near-record prices have made homes hard to come by and often even harder to afford, leaving buyers and sellers stuck and younger generations priced out.

But affordable pockets still exist. In cities across the state, residents can comfortably spend around 30% of their income or less on housing, which is widely considered the affordable threshold.

To find out where these cities are, Redfin Real Estate ranked the most affordable cities in Connecticut, based on their local payment to income ratios. All data is an average for the January-October 2025 period. To see the most affordable cities in the country, read this recent Redfin article.

#1. Windsor Locks, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 26.8%
- Median sale price: $316,449
- Median household income: $90,417
- Income needed to buy: $80,809
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,020
- See homes for sale in Windsor Locks on Redfin.com

#2. North Haven, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 27.1%
- Median sale price: $449,169
- Median household income: $126,807
- Income needed to buy: $114,701
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,868
- See homes for sale in North Haven on Redfin.com

#3. Wethersfield, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 28.4%
- Median sale price: $438,632
- Median household income: $118,523
- Income needed to buy: $112,010
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,800
- See homes for sale in Wethersfield on Redfin.com

#4. Naugatuck, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 29.1%
- Median sale price: $350,126
- Median household income: $92,184
- Income needed to buy: $89,409
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,235
- See homes for sale in Naugatuck on Redfin.com

#5. Newington, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 30.0%
- Median sale price: $385,762
- Median household income: $98,585
- Income needed to buy: $98,509
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,463
- See homes for sale in Newington on Redfin.com

#6. Manchester, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 31.4%
- Median sale price: $314,885
- Median household income: $76,780
- Income needed to buy: $80,410
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,010
- See homes for sale in Manchester on Redfin.com

#7. Bristol, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 31.6%
- Median sale price: $344,737
- Median household income: $83,458
- Income needed to buy: $88,033
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,201
- See homes for sale in Bristol on Redfin.com

#8. Orange, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 32.1%
- Median sale price: $609,744
- Median household income: $145,625
- Income needed to buy: $155,706
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,893
- See homes for sale in Orange on Redfin.com

#9. East Haven, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 32.8%
- Median sale price: $370,017
- Median household income: $86,498
- Income needed to buy: $94,489
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,362
- See homes for sale in East Haven on Redfin.com

#10. West Hartford, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 33.5%
- Median sale price: $548,757
- Median household income: $125,616
- Income needed to buy: $140,132
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,503
- See homes for sale in West Hartford on Redfin.com

#11. East Hartford, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 34.6%
- Median sale price: $302,321
- Median household income: $66,943
- Income needed to buy: $77,202
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,930
- See homes for sale in East Hartford on Redfin.com

#12. Derby, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 36.7%
- Median sale price: $365,480
- Median household income: $76,263
- Income needed to buy: $93,330
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,333
- See homes for sale in Derby on Redfin.com

#13. Trumbull Center, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 36.9%
- Median sale price: $599,720
- Median household income: $124,547
- Income needed to buy: $153,146
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,829
- See homes for sale in Trumbull Center on Redfin.com

#14. Meriden, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 36.9%
- Median sale price: $330,832
- Median household income: $68,617
- Income needed to buy: $84,482
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,112
- See homes for sale in Meriden on Redfin.com

#15. Shelton, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 37.0%
- Median sale price: $553,798
- Median household income: $114,739
- Income needed to buy: $141,419
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,535
- See homes for sale in Shelton on Redfin.com

#16. Ansonia, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 37.1%
- Median sale price: $390,062
- Median household income: $80,585
- Income needed to buy: $99,607
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,490
- See homes for sale in Ansonia on Redfin.com

#17. Milford, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 37.3%
- Median sale price: $535,816
- Median household income: $110,126
- Income needed to buy: $136,828
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,421
- See homes for sale in Milford on Redfin.com

#18. Wallingford Center, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 38.2%
- Median sale price: $421,447
- Median household income: $84,554
- Income needed to buy: $107,622
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,691
- See homes for sale in Wallingford Center on Redfin.com

#19. Middletown, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 39.1%
- Median sale price: $377,771
- Median household income: $73,979
- Income needed to buy: $96,469
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,412
- See homes for sale in Middletown on Redfin.com

#20. West Haven, Connecticut
- Payment to income ratio: 39.2%
- Median sale price: $376,411
- Median household income: $73,566
- Income needed to buy: $96,121
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,403
- See homes for sale in West Haven on Redfin.com