HomeConnecticutWestern Connecticut Planning Region
Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut: commercial real estate data.
Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut has a population of 627,071 across 532 square miles, up 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $76.34 bn in 2024, 19,955 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 802 7(a) approvals worth $329.7 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Western Connecticut Planning Region
How many people live in Western Connecticut Planning Region
- Population627,071
- Households235,379
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$128,188
- Median age41.5
- Median gross rent$2,110 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$652,900
- Home value to household income5.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher55.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree25.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over438,487
- Population under 18136,490
- Share under 1821.8 percent
- Population 65 and over109,217
- Share 65 and over17.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64381,364
- Civilian labor force346,557
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.6 percent
- Rank by population among Connecticut planning regions2nd of 9
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents111th
Western Connecticut Planning Region is the 2nd largest of 9 Connecticut planning regions by population. A median home costs 5.1 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.8 percent against 17.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
Is Western Connecticut Planning Region's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.60 percent
- Census 2020 base population620,884
- Births, 20246,326
- Deaths, 20244,768
- Natural change, 20241,558
- Net domestic migration, 2024-4,317
- Net international migration, 20249,532
- Total net migration, 20245,215
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-12,862
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents982nd
The county has grown 2.60 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.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
Where are people moving to Western Connecticut Planning Region from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving15,702
- People arriving, from those returns26,403
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.00 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$254,936
- Largest single originWestern Connecticut Planning Regi Non-migrants (241,044 households)
- Largest single destination (241,044 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Connecticut Planning Regi Non-migrants | 241,044 | 491,738 | $76.79 bn |
| Westchester County | 2,396 | 4,364 | $695.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,297 | 3,648 | $369.7 m |
| New York County | 1,523 | 2,789 | $970.1 m |
| Greater Bridgeport Planning Regio | 1,262 | 2,044 | $118.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 918 | 1,508 | $118.4 m |
| Bronx County | 780 | 1,447 | $63.2 m |
| Kings County | 645 | 1,204 | $252.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Western Connecticut Planning Regi 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.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
What is the Western Connecticut Planning Region economy?
- County GDP, 2024$76.34 bn
- County GDP, 2023$0
- Rank by GDP among Connecticut planning regions2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents69th
- GDP per resident$121,746
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
Largest employers in Western Connecticut Planning Region
- Covered employment, annual average287,189
- Establishments reporting33,324
- Average annual pay$129,052
- Average weekly wage$2,482
- Sector 62, employment44,014
- Sector 62, average annual pay$78,503
- Sector 44-45, employment33,578
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$52,938
- Sector 52, employment25,511
- Sector 52, average annual pay$447,504
- Sector 54, employment24,027
- Sector 54, average annual pay$174,689
- Sector 72, employment23,907
- Sector 56, employment15,715
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 44,014 | 3,297 | $78,503 |
| Sector 44-45 | 33,578 | 2,571 | $52,938 |
| Sector 52 | 25,511 | 2,940 | $447,504 |
| Sector 54 | 24,027 | 5,810 | $174,689 |
| Sector 72 | 23,907 | 1,894 | $36,398 |
| Sector 56 | 15,715 | 2,380 | $96,809 |
| Sector 31-33 | 13,621 | 588 | $130,242 |
| Sector 81 | 13,058 | 3,997 | $55,504 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 44,014 jobs, 15.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
How many businesses are in Western Connecticut Planning Region?
- Establishments, all industries19,955
- Employment at those establishments292,288
- Annual payroll$33.03 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.8
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.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
Building permits in Western Connecticut Planning Region
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,094
- Declared construction value permitted$493.9 m
- Single family units authorised389
- Multifamily units authorised705
- Multifamily share of units64.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$451,504
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.6
Multifamily is 64.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
SBA loans in Western Connecticut Planning Region (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded802
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$329.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$411,072
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,000,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)5,704
- Jobs per approval7.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active81
- Distinct industries receiving approvals261
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer8.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms66
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter709
- Franchise loans69
- Franchise share of approvals8.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFitness and Recreational Sports Centers (26)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (159)
- 504 approvals recorded152
- 504 gross approval dollars$126.0 m
- Average 504 approval$829,184
- Median 504 approval$516,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval5.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.0
- Most active CDCCommunity Investment Corporation (67)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals84.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$455.7 m
The average approval of $411,072 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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 8.2 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.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Western Connecticut Planning Region
Do SBA loans in Western Connecticut Planning Region get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded87
- Paid in full74
- Charged off13
- Charge off rate on resolved loans14.9 percent
- Status: Paid in full74
- Status: Charged off13
- Status: Exempt from disclosure563
- Status: Cancelled72
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed80
Of the 87 loans that have reached a final outcome, 14.9 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.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
SBA lending by place in Western Connecticut Planning Region
- Places in the county with recorded lending23
- STAMFORD, approvals143
- Norwalk, approvals125
- DANBURY, approvals87
- Ridgefield, approvals53
- WESTPORT, approvals53
- GREENWICH, approvals52
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| STAMFORD | 143 | $69,413,300 |
| Norwalk | 125 | $46,766,400 |
| DANBURY | 87 | $32,872,400 |
| Ridgefield | 53 | $17,784,400 |
| WESTPORT | 53 | $29,156,900 |
| GREENWICH | 52 | $15,302,200 |
| BETHEL | 49 | $20,099,600 |
| Brookfield | 43 | $12,900,500 |
STAMFORD accounts for 143 approvals against 125 in Norwalk. 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.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
How large is Western Connecticut Planning Region?
- Land area532 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Connecticut planning regions5th of 9
- Width, east to west28.3 mi
- Height, north to south50.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land1,179
- Establishments per square mile37.51
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 Western 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 Western Connecticut Planning Region site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population627,071
- Households235,379
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$128,188
- Median age41.5
Common questions
Western Connecticut Planning Region questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut?
627,071, in 235,379 households, ranking 2nd of 9 Connecticut counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Western Connecticut Planning Region's population growing?
The population has grown 2.60 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 6,326 births against 4,768 deaths, with net migration of 5,215. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Western Connecticut Planning Region?
$128,188. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $652,900, which is 5.1 times income, and median gross rent is $2,110 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Western Connecticut Planning Region?
19,955 establishments, employing 292,288 people with an annual payroll of $33.03 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 Western Connecticut Planning Region?
Average annual pay is $129,052, or $2,482 a week, across 287,189 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Western Connecticut Planning Region?
802 7(a) approvals totalling $329.7 m since FY2020, across 81 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 152 504 approvals worth $126.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Western Connecticut Planning Region get paid back?
Of the 87 loans that have reached a final outcome, 74 were paid in full and 13 charged off, a charge off rate of 14.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Western Connecticut Planning Region?
1,094 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $493.9 m. Multifamily was 64.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Where do people moving to Western Connecticut Planning Region come from?
The largest single origin is Western Connecticut Planning Regi Non-migrants, with 241,044 households. Arriving households report an average income of $254,936 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 Western 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 Western 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.
Western Connecticut Planning Region
Cities and places in Western Connecticut.
66 Census places lie wholly or partly in Western Connecticut Planning Region. 66 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamford | city | 137,144 | 185 | Wholly in this county |
| Norwalk | city | 92,187 | 153 | Wholly in this county |
| Danbury | city | 87,263 | 122 | Wholly in this county |
| Greenwich | CDP | 14,792 | 68 | Wholly in this county |
| Bethel | CDP | 11,404 | 62 | Wholly in this county |
| Sandy Hook | CDP | 9,863 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Riverside | CDP | 8,954 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| New Milford | CDP | 8,188 | 45 | Wholly in this county |
| Cos Cob | CDP | 7,546 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Staples | CDP | 7,340 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgefield | CDP | 6,970 | 68 | Wholly in this county |
| Old Greenwich | CDP | 6,936 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| New Canaan | CDP | 6,896 | 32 | Wholly in this county |
| Noroton | CDP | 5,539 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Byram | CDP | 4,633 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pemberwick | CDP | 3,665 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Coleytown | CDP | 3,472 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Compo | CDP | 3,410 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Greens Farms | CDP | 3,229 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Westport Village | CDP | 3,021 | 68 | Wholly in this county |
| Old Hill | CDP | 2,990 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tokeneke | CDP | 2,951 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Saugatuck | CDP | 2,925 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Noroton Heights | CDP | 2,782 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Glenville | CDP | 2,656 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ball Pond | CDP | 2,627 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgebury | CDP | 2,060 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Georgetown | CDP | 1,932 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Newtown | borough | 1,898 | 41 | Wholly in this county |
| Wilton Center | CDP | 1,682 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| South Wilton | CDP | 1,444 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lakes West | CDP | 1,395 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Darien Downtown | CDP | 1,242 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lakes East | CDP | 1,227 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Poplar Plains | CDP | 1,141 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Route 7 Gateway | CDP | 1,108 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Inglenook | CDP | 1,056 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Weston | CDP | 966 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Candlewood Orchards | CDP | 900 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bigelow Corners | CDP | 884 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cannondale | CDP | 758 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gaylordsville | CDP | 740 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Indian Field | CDP | 716 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Botsford | CDP | 635 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Candlewood Isle | CDP | 633 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Candlewood Shores | CDP | 525 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mamanasco Lake | CDP | 499 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rock Ridge | CDP | 482 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Taylor Corners | CDP | 481 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Mountain | CDP | 387 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lakeside Woods | CDP | 363 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dodgingtown | CDP | 285 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Knollcrest | CDP | 266 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Redding Center | CDP | 262 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Candlewood Lake Club | CDP | 255 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brookfield Center | CDP | 248 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Candlewood Knolls | CDP | 224 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hawleyville | CDP | 164 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bridgewater | CDP | 130 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Topstone | CDP | 122 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sail Harbor | CDP | 120 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Chimney Point | CDP | 117 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Branchville | CDP | 88 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bogus Hill | CDP | 80 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kellogg Point | CDP | 22 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sherman | CDP | 0 | 12 | Wholly in this county |