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City · 60,545 residents · South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut

Meriden , Connecticut

In Meriden, a typical home is worth $241,200 and typical rent is $1,294 a month. Compared with all of South Central Connecticut Planning Region, the typical home value is 32% lower and typical household income is 19% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $241,200

    32% below the planning region

    34% below Connecticut

    • Meriden
    • South Central Connecticut
    • Connecticut

  • Typical rent

    $1,294a month

    15% below the planning region

    13% below Connecticut

    • Meriden
    • South Central Connecticut
    • Connecticut

  • Typical household income

    $71,253a year

    19% below the planning region

    26% below Connecticut

    • Meriden
    • South Central Connecticut
    • Connecticut

  • Households that own their home

    60%

    About the same as the planning region

    6 points below Connecticut

    • Meriden
    • South Central Connecticut
    • Connecticut

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

Meriden is in South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of South Central Connecticut Planning Region. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 9 official sources

Only here

What sets Meriden apart

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

  1. The typical home in Meriden is worth $241,200, 32% less than in South Central Connecticut Planning Region as a whole ($353,100).

  2. The typical household income in Meriden is $71,253, 19% less than in South Central Connecticut Planning Region as a whole ($88,197).

  3. The typical rent in Meriden is $1,294 a month, 15% less than in South Central Connecticut Planning Region as a whole ($1,525).

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

The homes here

Housing in Meriden

What homes there are in Meriden, 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

No kind of home is the majority in Meriden; the largest group, detached houses, adds up to 49%, less than in South Central Connecticut Planning Region (53%).

Year built

Homes in Meriden are older: the typical year built is 1960; in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, 1964.

There are fewer big homes in Meriden than in South Central Connecticut Planning Region: 49% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 52%.

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

About 97% of owner-occupied homes in Meriden are worth less than the FHA loan limit for South Central Connecticut Planning Region ($541,287).

Monthly rent with utilities

By rent, most homes in Meriden cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent ($2,091): about 92%.

With a mortgage

$1,986 a month

South Central Connecticut Planning Region: $2,377 a month

Without a mortgage

$963 a month

South Central Connecticut Planning Region: $1,107 a month

Owners with a mortgage

66%

South Central Connecticut Planning Region: 65%

Owning costs less in Meriden: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,986 a month; in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, $2,377. Without one, $963.

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

The typical home value in Meriden rose 40% from 2015–2019 to 2020–2024.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Meriden rose 26%.

Housing prices ran ahead of income in Meriden: typical income rose 21%, against +40% for home values and +26% for rent.

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

MeasureMeridenSouth Central Connecticut Planning RegionConnecticutUnited States
Rental vacancy 4.2%4.5%4.3%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.5%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room 3.6%2.6%2.1%3.4%
People per household 2.422.382.462.53
Drive alone 76%69%69%69%
Carpool 10%7%8%9%
Public transit 2%3%3%3%
Walk or bike 2%5%3%3%
Work from home 9%14%16%15%
Other means 2%1%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Open rentals in Meriden look like those in South Central Connecticut Planning Region: the rental vacancy rate is 4.2%.

In Meriden, 3.6% of households live with more than one person per room, about the same as in South Central Connecticut Planning Region.

By size, households in Meriden look like those in South Central Connecticut Planning Region: 2.42 people on average.

In Meriden, 76% of workers drive alone to work; in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, 69%.

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 Meriden?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Meriden, worth $241,200, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 38% of the typical household income in Meriden, which is $71,253 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $95,987 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Meriden. 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 $8,442 (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

$2,240

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$236,831
Total interest
$340,745
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $4,073 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,663 a month

  • Tight

    $1,663 to $2,138 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,138 a month

    Your payment · 38%

Compared with the typical household income in Meriden ($71,253 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,240
Principal & interest$1,604
Property tax$428
Home insurance$101
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$107

You need at least $8,442 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

Meriden and South Central Connecticut Planning Region

Meriden is in South Central 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).

Meriden's own numbers

Typical home value
$241,200
Typical monthly rent
$1,294
Typical yearly household income
$71,253
Households that own their home
60%
Effective property tax rate
2.13%

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

Numbers for all of South Central Connecticut Planning Region

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,091
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+61%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
4.9%

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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region.

Everything about South Central Connecticut Planning Region

Buying

Buying a home in Meriden

A typical home in Meriden is worth $241,200: 32% below the planning region and 34% below Connecticut. With the typical household income in Meriden ($71,253 a year), a typical home costs 3.4 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.

  • Meriden 3.4 years
  • South Central Connecticut 4.0 years
  • Connecticut 3.8 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in South Central Connecticut Planning Region

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in South Central Connecticut Planning Region rose 76% in the 10 years through 2025.

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

Period Region Connecticut U.S.
Last year (2025) +6.3% +6.1% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +61% +62% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +76% +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

Meriden next to South Central 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
  • Meriden $241,200
  • South Central Connecticut $353,100
  • Connecticut $366,900
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Meriden $1,294
  • South Central Connecticut $1,525
  • Connecticut $1,488
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Meriden $71,253
  • South Central Connecticut $88,197
  • Connecticut $95,781
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Meriden next to South Central Connecticut Planning Region and Connecticut
Measure Meriden South Central Connecticut Planning Region Connecticut U.S.
Typical home value $241,200 $353,100 $366,900 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,294 $1,525 $1,488 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $71,253 $88,197 $95,781 $80,734
Households that own their home 60% 61% 66% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $5,129 $6,759 $6,643 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 2.13% 1.91% 1.81% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 53% 54% 53% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below South Central 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 Meriden

For a typical $241,200 home in Meriden, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Meriden's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,240a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $8,442
    Cash to close
    $15,678
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $107

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,195a month

    Down payment
    $12,060
    Cash to close
    $19,296
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $115

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,836a month

    Down payment
    $48,240
    Cash to close
    $55,476
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,059a month

    Down payment
    $36,180
    Cash to close
    $43,416
    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 Meriden and for South Central Connecticut Planning Region.

Property tax

Effective rate in Meriden

2.13%of the home’s value each year

$5,129 a year for the typical owner in Meriden.

  • Meriden 2.13%
  • South Central Connecticut 1.91%
  • 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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region

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

Homes in the high-risk zone
4.9%
7,427
Of those, with NFIP insurance
52%
Region Connecticut U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 4.9% 3.1% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 52% 51% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Meriden

Typical rent in Meriden is $1,294 a month: 15% below the planning region. In Meriden, 53% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of South Central Connecticut Planning Region, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,091 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $40.21 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of South Central 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 $1,609 $30.94 $64,360
1 bedroom $1,743 $33.52 $69,720
2 bedrooms $2,091 $40.21 $83,640
3 bedrooms $2,602 $50.04 $104,080
4 bedrooms $2,935 $56.44 $117,400

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 Meriden

HUD lists 20 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Meriden. These are the largest.

  • Community Towers 55 Willow St, Meriden 06450 221 homes, 219 low-income · Run by Housing Authority of the City of Meriden · Average payment: $369 a month · Average wait: 12 months (203) 235-0157
  • Harbor Towers 60 Hanover St, Meriden 06451 202 low-income homes · For older adults (203) 238-0454
  • Harbor Towers 60 Hanover St, Meriden 201 low-income homes · 1 bd: 188 · 2 bd: 13 · In service since 1997
  • Hanover Towers 70 Butler St, Meriden 06451 100 low-income homes · For older adults (203) 238-0454
  • Hanover Towers 76 Butler St, Meriden 99 low-income homes · 1 bd: 79 · 2 bd: 20 · In service since 1997

See all 166 buildings in South Central Connecticut Planning Region Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Meriden

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 are 4 HUD-approved agencies with an office in South Central Connecticut Planning Region; 3 say they serve in Spanish.

A young man and a young woman look something up together on a laptop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Meriden

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

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Connecticut

Housing counselors near Meriden

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

  • Capital for Change, Inc. (housing Counseling Office)

    10 Alexander Dr, Wallingford · 4 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 3 more
    (203) 624-7406

  • Neighborhood Housing Services of New Britain, Inc.

    223 Broad St, New Britain · 9 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 6 more
    (860) 224-2433

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

    193 Grand St, Waterbury · 13 miles away · Spanish

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

Every agency in South Central Connecticut Planning Region All counseling agencies in Connecticut

Help in Spanish near Meriden

2 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 Meriden

HUD’s record names them for Meriden or South Central Connecticut Planning Region. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Housing Authority of the City of Meriden Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (203) 235-0157

6 other authorities have an office in South Central Connecticut Planning Region: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in South Central Connecticut Planning Region

These cities are also in South Central 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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region Housing in Connecticut

Nearby cities

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

Neighboring counties

If South Central 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 Meriden.

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

Questions

Housing questions about Meriden

Short answers with the numbers for Meriden and all of South Central 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 Meriden?

The typical home value in Meriden is $241,200, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in South Central Connecticut Planning Region it is $353,100.

How much does it cost to rent in Meriden?

Typical rent in Meriden is $1,294 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in South Central Connecticut Planning Region is $2,091.

What is the FHA loan limit in Meriden?

Meriden uses the FHA limit for all of South Central Connecticut Planning Region (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Meriden?

The typical homeowner in Meriden pays $5,129 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 2.13% of the home’s value; in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, the rate is 1.91%.

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

There are 4 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in South Central Connecticut Planning Region. 3 say they serve 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).