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City · 11,404 residents · Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut

Bethel , Connecticut

In Bethel, a typical home is worth $378,300 and typical rent is $1,656 a month. Compared with all of Western Connecticut Planning Region, the typical home value is 42% lower and typical household income is 29% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $378,300

    42% below the planning region

    3% above Connecticut

    • Bethel
    • Western Connecticut
    • Connecticut

  • Typical rent

    $1,656a month

    22% below the planning region

    11% above Connecticut

    • Bethel
    • Western Connecticut
    • Connecticut

  • Typical household income

    $90,848a year

    29% below the planning region

    5% below Connecticut

    • Bethel
    • Western Connecticut
    • Connecticut

  • Households that own their home

    64%

    3 points below the planning region

    3 points below Connecticut

    • Bethel
    • Western Connecticut
    • Connecticut

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Bethel is in Western Connecticut Planning Region. The FHA loan limit ($977,500 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Western Connecticut Planning Region. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 9 official sources

Only here

What sets Bethel apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. The typical home in Bethel is worth $378,300, 42% less than in Western Connecticut Planning Region as a whole ($652,900).

  2. The typical household income in Bethel is $90,848, 29% less than in Western Connecticut Planning Region as a whole ($128,188).

  3. The typical rent in Bethel is $1,656 a month, 22% less than in Western Connecticut Planning Region as a whole ($2,110).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Bethel

What homes there are in Bethel, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Bethel there is a bit of everything: no kind of home reaches half. The most common are detached houses (43%); in Western Connecticut Planning Region, 57%.

Year built

The typical home in Bethel was built in 1975, 4 years after the typical one in Western Connecticut Planning Region.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,627 a month

Western Connecticut Planning Region: $3,494 a month

Without a mortgage

$1,199 a month

Western Connecticut Planning Region: $1,431 a month

Owners with a mortgage

70%

Western Connecticut Planning Region: 67%

Owning costs less in Bethel: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $2,627 a month; in Western Connecticut Planning Region, $3,494. Without one, $1,199.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Bethel does not have the same boundaries as in 2015–2019: that is why there is no change to compare.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureBethelWestern Connecticut Planning RegionConnecticutUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate3.8%4.3%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.1%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.7%2.1%3.4%
People per household 2.362.632.462.53
Drive alone 73%59%69%69%
Carpool 7%8%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate7%3%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%3%3%
Work from home 16%22%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Fewer people live in each home here: 2.36 on average, against 2.63 in Western Connecticut Planning Region.

To get to work, 73% of workers in Bethel drive alone; in Western Connecticut Planning Region, 59%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Bethel?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Bethel, worth $378,300, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 45% of the typical household income in Bethel, which is $90,848 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $146,223 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Western Connecticut Planning Region.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Bethel. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $13,241 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$3,412

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$371,448
Total interest
$534,426
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $6,389 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,120 a month

  • Tight

    $2,120 to $2,725 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,725 a month

    Your payment · 45%

Compared with the typical household income in Bethel ($90,848 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,412
Principal & interest$2,516
Property tax$571
Home insurance$158
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$167

You need at least $13,241 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Bethel and Western Connecticut Planning Region

Bethel is in Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Bethel's own numbers

Typical home value
$378,300
Typical monthly rent
$1,656
Typical yearly household income
$90,848
Households that own their home
64%
Effective property tax rate
1.81%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Western Connecticut Planning Region

FHA limit, one-unit home
$977,500
Conventional limit, one unit
$977,500
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,399
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+56%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
3.9%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Western Connecticut Planning Region.

Everything about Western Connecticut Planning Region

Buying

Buying a home in Bethel

A typical home in Bethel is worth $378,300: 42% below the planning region and 3% above Connecticut. With the typical household income in Bethel ($90,848 a year), a typical home costs 4.2 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Bethel 4.2 years
  • Western Connecticut 5.1 years
  • Connecticut 3.8 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Western Connecticut Planning Region

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Western Connecticut Planning Region rose 65% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Western Connecticut Planning Region.

Period Region Connecticut U.S.
Last year (2025) +5.8% +6.1% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +56% +62% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +65% +75% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Bethel next to Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Bethel $378,300
  • Western Connecticut $652,900
  • Connecticut $366,900
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Bethel $1,656
  • Western Connecticut $2,110
  • Connecticut $1,488
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Bethel $90,848
  • Western Connecticut $128,188
  • Connecticut $95,781
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Bethel next to Western Connecticut Planning Region and Connecticut
Measure Bethel Western Connecticut Planning Region Connecticut U.S.
Typical home value $378,300 $652,900 $366,900 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,656 $2,110 $1,488 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $90,848 $128,188 $95,781 $80,734
Households that own their home 64% 66% 66% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $6,861 $9,295 $6,643 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.81% 1.42% 1.81% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 50% 53% 53% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Western Connecticut Planning Region. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Bethel

For a typical $378,300 home in Bethel, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Bethel's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,412a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $13,241
    Cash to close
    $24,590
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $167

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,343a month

    Down payment
    $18,915
    Cash to close
    $30,264
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $180

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,778a month

    Down payment
    $75,660
    Cash to close
    $87,009
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,128a month

    Down payment
    $56,745
    Cash to close
    $68,094
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Bethel and for Western Connecticut Planning Region.

Property tax

Effective rate in Bethel

1.81%of the home’s value each year

$6,861 a year for the typical owner in Bethel.

  • Bethel 1.81%
  • Western Connecticut 1.42%
  • Connecticut 1.81%

What Connecticut publishes Deadline to appeal the assessment: February 20 (Connecticut General Assembly (General Statutes of Connecticut, Chapter 203))

Exemptions and deadlines in Connecticut

Flood risk in Western Connecticut Planning Region

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Western Connecticut Planning Region.

Homes in the high-risk zone
3.9%
6,453
Of those, with NFIP insurance
57%
Region Connecticut U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 3.9% 3.1% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 57% 51% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Bethel

Typical rent in Bethel is $1,656 a month: 22% below the planning region. In Bethel, 50% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Western Connecticut Planning Region, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,399 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $46.13 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Western Connecticut Planning Region

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,671 $32.13 $66,840
1 bedroom $2,071 $39.83 $82,840
2 bedrooms $2,399 $46.13 $95,960
3 bedrooms $2,878 $55.35 $115,120
4 bedrooms $3,573 $68.71 $142,920

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Bethel

HUD lists 2 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Bethel. These are the largest.

  • Simeon Village 4 Simeon Rd, Bethel 06801 101 homes, 40 low-income · For older adults (203) 743-2508
  • Reynolds Ridge 25 Reynolds Rdg, Bethel 06801 40 low-income homes · For older adults (203) 797-9909

See all 142 buildings in Western Connecticut Planning Region Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Bethel

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Western Connecticut Planning Region; 1 says it serves in Spanish.

An older man and his daughter go over papers with a professional.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Bethel

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Bethel or Western Connecticut Planning Region. The ones below are statewide in Connecticut: they work in Bethel the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Connecticut

Housing counselors near Bethel

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Bethel, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Building Neighborhoods Together, Inc.

    570 State St, Bridgeport · 17 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 11 more
    (203) 290-4255

  • Housing Development Fund, Inc

    100 Prospect St, Stamford · 22 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Portuguese.

    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • Homebuyer education workshops
    203-969-1830-1010

  • Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury, Inc. (NEST)

    193 Grand St, Waterbury · 23 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 6 more
    (203) 753-1896

Every agency in Western Connecticut Planning Region All counseling agencies in Connecticut

Help in Spanish near Bethel

3 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Bethel

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Western Connecticut Planning Region is named for Bethel or Western Connecticut Planning Region.

4 other authorities have an office in Western Connecticut Planning Region: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Western Connecticut Planning Region

These cities are also in Western Connecticut Planning Region. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Western Connecticut Planning Region Housing in Connecticut
See 1 more city in Western Connecticut Planning Region, with its price and rent

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Bethel, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Western Connecticut Planning Region is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Bethel.

All guides
A mother smiles as she carries her young daughter on her shoulders (black and white).

Questions

Housing questions about Bethel

Short answers with the numbers for Bethel and all of Western Connecticut Planning Region. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Bethel?

The typical home value in Bethel is $378,300, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Western Connecticut Planning Region it is $652,900.

How much does it cost to rent in Bethel?

Typical rent in Bethel is $1,656 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Western Connecticut Planning Region is $2,399.

What is the FHA loan limit in Bethel?

Bethel uses the FHA limit for all of Western Connecticut Planning Region (2026): $977,500 for a one-unit home and $1,879,850 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Bethel?

The typical homeowner in Bethel pays $6,861 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.81% of the home’s value; in Western Connecticut Planning Region, the rate is 1.42%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Bethel?

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Western Connecticut Planning Region. 1 says it serves in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).