HomeConnecticutSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region
South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut: commercial real estate data.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut has a population of 570,598 across 367 square miles, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $50.13 bn in 2024, 13,779 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 615 7(a) approvals worth $238.5 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
How many people live in South Central Connecticut Planning Region
- Population570,598
- Households230,673
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$88,197
- Median age40.2
- Median gross rent$1,525 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$353,100
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher42.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree20.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over399,673
- Population under 18111,623
- Share under 1819.6 percent
- Population 65 and over106,066
- Share 65 and over18.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64352,909
- Civilian labor force307,607
- Unemployment rate6.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.0 percent
- Rank by population among Connecticut planning regions3rd of 9
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents125th
South Central Connecticut Planning Region is the 3rd largest of 9 Connecticut planning regions by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 19.6 percent against 18.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
Is South Central Connecticut Planning Region's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.05 percent
- Census 2020 base population570,732
- Births, 20245,641
- Deaths, 20245,375
- Natural change, 2024266
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,802
- Net international migration, 20245,328
- Total net migration, 20243,526
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,707
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1462nd
The county has grown 1.05 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
Where are people moving to South Central Connecticut Planning Region from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving13,546
- People arriving, from those returns20,711
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.09 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$80,547
- Largest single originSouth Central Connecticut Plannin Non-migrants (227,048 households)
- Largest single destination (227,048 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Connecticut Plannin Non-migrants | 227,048 | 419,699 | $22.02 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,604 | 3,946 | $188.9 m |
| Naugatuck Valley Planning Region | 1,662 | 2,594 | $103.5 m |
| Greater Bridgeport Planning Regio | 1,432 | 2,297 | $97.8 m |
| Capitol Planning Region | 1,186 | 1,752 | $90.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,088 | 1,683 | $72.3 m |
| Lower Connecticut River Valley Pl | 794 | 1,193 | $57.1 m |
| Western Connecticut Planning Regi | 758 | 1,189 | $92.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is South Central Connecticut Plannin Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
What is the South Central Connecticut Planning Region economy?
- County GDP, 2024$50.13 bn
- County GDP, 2023$0
- Rank by GDP among Connecticut planning regions3rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents117th
- GDP per resident$87,861
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
Largest employers in South Central Connecticut Planning Region
- Covered employment, annual average281,946
- Establishments reporting20,772
- Average annual pay$75,517
- Average weekly wage$1,452
- Sector 62, employment54,695
- Sector 62, average annual pay$67,514
- Sector 61, employment29,670
- Sector 61, average annual pay$106,632
- Sector 44-45, employment26,237
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$43,518
- Sector 72, employment20,204
- Sector 72, average annual pay$29,505
- Sector 31-33, employment19,596
- Sector 48-49, employment17,985
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 54,695 | 3,630 | $67,514 |
| Sector 61 | 29,670 | 434 | $106,632 |
| Sector 44-45 | 26,237 | 1,925 | $43,518 |
| Sector 72 | 20,204 | 1,585 | $29,505 |
| Sector 31-33 | 19,596 | 726 | $84,007 |
| Sector 48-49 | 17,985 | 360 | $51,057 |
| Sector 56 | 16,381 | 1,294 | $66,929 |
| Sector 54 | 12,937 | 2,901 | $133,851 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 54,695 jobs, 19.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
How many businesses are in South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
- Establishments, all industries13,779
- Employment at those establishments263,675
- Annual payroll$17.15 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
Building permits in South Central Connecticut Planning Region
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,014
- Declared construction value permitted$154.3 m
- Single family units authorised191
- Multifamily units authorised823
- Multifamily share of units81.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$152,213
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.4
Multifamily is 81.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
SBA loans in South Central Connecticut Planning Region (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded615
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$238.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$387,771
- Median 7(a) approval$130,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,085,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)5,215
- Jobs per approval8.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active62
- Distinct industries receiving approvals205
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms66
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter534
- Franchise loans38
- Franchise share of approvals6.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (37)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (111)
- 504 approvals recorded112
- 504 gross approval dollars$94.1 m
- Average 504 approval$840,321
- Median 504 approval$429,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval8.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.7
- Most active CDCCommunity Investment Corporation (81)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals84.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$332.6 m
The average approval of $387,771 sits well above the median of $130,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 10.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition. A further 1,590 Connecticut approvals are recorded against the state's former counties, which were replaced by planning regions in 2022. The two sets of boundaries do not nest, so those approvals cannot be assigned to a planning region and are excluded from every figure on this page.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in South Central Connecticut Planning Region
Do SBA loans in South Central Connecticut Planning Region get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded69
- Paid in full54
- Charged off15
- Charge off rate on resolved loans21.7 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure450
- Status: Paid in full54
- Status: Charged off15
- Status: Cancelled39
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed57
Of the 69 loans that have reached a final outcome, 21.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
SBA lending by place in South Central Connecticut Planning Region
- Places in the county with recorded lending17
- NEW HAVEN, approvals110
- Milford, approvals80
- HAMDEN, approvals70
- BRANFORD, approvals54
- Wallingford, approvals53
- MERIDEN, approvals51
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| NEW HAVEN | 110 | $34,678,500 |
| Milford | 80 | $27,586,200 |
| HAMDEN | 70 | $19,252,800 |
| BRANFORD | 54 | $23,527,100 |
| Wallingford | 53 | $21,285,100 |
| MERIDEN | 51 | $25,918,700 |
| WEST HAVEN | 37 | $20,098,800 |
| North Haven | 32 | $11,661,400 |
NEW HAVEN accounts for 110 approvals against 80 in Milford. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
How large is South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
- Land area367 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Connecticut planning regions8th of 9
- Width, east to west30.9 mi
- Height, north to south34 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land1,555
- Establishments per square mile37.54
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a South Central Connecticut Planning Region site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a South Central Connecticut Planning Region site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population570,598
- Households230,673
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$88,197
- Median age40.2
Common questions
South Central Connecticut Planning Region questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut?
570,598, in 230,673 households, ranking 3rd of 9 Connecticut counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is South Central Connecticut Planning Region's population growing?
The population has grown 1.05 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 5,641 births against 5,375 deaths, with net migration of 3,526. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
$88,197. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $353,100, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,525 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
13,779 establishments, employing 263,675 people with an annual payroll of $17.15 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
Average annual pay is $75,517, or $1,452 a week, across 281,946 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
615 7(a) approvals totalling $238.5 m since FY2020, across 62 lenders, with a median approval of $130,000, plus 112 504 approvals worth $94.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in South Central Connecticut Planning Region get paid back?
Of the 69 loans that have reached a final outcome, 54 were paid in full and 15 charged off, a charge off rate of 21.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
1,014 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $154.3 m. Multifamily was 81.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Where do people moving to South Central Connecticut Planning Region come from?
The largest single origin is South Central Connecticut Plannin Non-migrants, with 227,048 households. Arriving households report an average income of $80,547 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for South Central Connecticut Planning Region on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for South Central Connecticut Planning Region?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
South Central Connecticut Planning Region
Cities and places in South Central Connecticut.
14 Census places lie wholly or partly in South Central Connecticut Planning Region. 14 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven | city | 134,349 | 136 | Wholly in this county |
| Meriden | city | 60,545 | 75 | Wholly in this county |
| West Haven | city | 55,351 | 51 | Wholly in this county |
| Milford | place | 51,023 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Haven | CDP | 27,806 | 33 | Wholly in this county |
| North Haven | CDP | 24,336 | 44 | Wholly in this county |
| Wallingford Center | CDP | 18,208 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Orange | CDP | 14,315 | 34 | Wholly in this county |
| Branford Center | CDP | 6,305 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Northford | CDP | 6,186 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Quinnipiac University | CDP | 4,311 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Guilford Center | CDP | 2,263 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Madison Center | CDP | 1,981 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Woodmont | borough | 1,661 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |