Hartford, CT — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Connecticut·Hartford

Hartford County · Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown · population 122,129

AffordabilityInvestors

Image: Wikipedia · Hartford, Connecticut

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

View watchlist →

Rising

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Hartford stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.6% in the last year. averaging 7.2% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $199,359

1-year +4.6%

5-yr CAGR +7.2%

vs 5-yr peak -0.3%

Population +0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

64/100

Somewhat walkable

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

30/100

Minimal transit

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

82/100

Excellent for remote work

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 10.4

Buy

At a 10.4 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Hartford on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 10.4 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

73 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

75 · w22%

Distance from peak

88 · w18%

Population growth

49 · w16%

Rent YoY

54 · w12%

Home 10-yr CAGR

72 · w10%

Long thesis

Hartford has averaged 7.2% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+4.6% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Hartford's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Hartford

Hartford is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, with an estimated population of 122,129. It anchors the Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown metro area. The median home value in Hartford is $199,359 as of 2026-04, up 4.6% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Hartford average $1,596 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.3%). The composite momentum score is 70 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $199,359 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.

●Healthy 5-year run: +7.2% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.

●Quiet strength: +4.6% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.

●Held the highs: currently -0.3% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Hartford (Wikipedia)

Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 at the 2020 census and was estimated at 124,006 in 2025. Hartford is the most populous city in the Capitol Planning Region and the core city of the Greater Hartford metropolitan area with 1.17 million residents in total.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorArunan Arulampalam

Area18.05 sq mi

Elevation30 ft

SettledOctober 15, 1635

Nicknamehlist

Mottonowrap

Density7027.0/sq mi

Named forHertford, Hertfordshire

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Hartford County right now.

NWS active alerts (CT)Connecticut Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Hartford County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Hartford

13 tracked · ranked by median home value

1West End$329,005-1.6%

2South West$284,225+2.9%

3South End$278,116+7.5%

4Blue Hills$267,842+6.5%

5Frog Hollow$252,924+6.1%

6Behind the Rocks$242,218+5.7%

7North East$221,414+8.5%

8Upper Albany$220,872+8.7%

9Clay-Arsenal$212,868+18.4%

10Downtown$182,650-0.2%

11Parkville$177,425+2.3%

12South Green$123,588+3.0%

13Asylum Hill$101,703+4.0%

Cities like Hartford

Norwalk, CT72 · Rising New Haven, CT73 · Rising Middletown, CT70 · Rising Danbury, CT72 · Rising

Run the numbers for Hartford

ToolCan I afford Hartford?Income → city shortlist ToolROI on a Hartford rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR ToolCompare Hartford to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 cities ToolHartford cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)

36° / 22°

avg high / low

Summer (Jul)

83° / 64°

avg high / low

Sunny days/yr

194

~53% of year

Annual precip

49″ rain

37″ snow

Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)

Hurricane

Moderate

Tornado

Very low

Wildfire

Very low

Earthquake

Very low

Flood

Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Hartford listings on the major real-estate sites.

For rent

Zillow rentals → Apartments.com → Trulia rentals →

For sale

Zillow for sale → Realtor.com →

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Latest news

Former Hartford police officer charged in shooting death of Steven Jones
NBC Connecticut · 2d ago
Former Hartford officer charged in deadly shooting of Steven Jones
WFSB · 2d ago
Former Hartford Cop Charged In Feb. 27 Fatal Shooting: State
Patch · 2d ago
Several Connecticut schools close due to ‘excessive’ heat
WTNH.com · 1d ago
2 DUI Checkpoints Planned In Hartford This Weekend; See Where
Patch · 14h ago
Man dies in late night Hartford shooting
WFSB · 1d ago

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

NFLNew York Giants →New York Jets →

NBANew York Knicks →Brooklyn Nets →

MLBNew York Yankees →New York Mets →

NHLNew York Rangers →New York Islanders →New Jersey Devils →

Local economy & environment

Humidity

70%

Humid climate

Median household income

$90,200

Connecticut state median

Top industries (state-level)

Finance/InsuranceManufacturingHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.