Pros and Cons of Living in Naugatuck

Naugatuck's core trade-off pairs a real, distinct rubber-manufacturing heritage and genuinely affordable housing against a comparatively high property tax rate and a real, dated flood history.

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Pro: a real, singular industrial-heritage identity

The first U.S. vulcanized-rubber factory (1843), Charles Goodyear's real residence, and the 1892 founding of U.S. Rubber Company (an original Dow Jones Industrial Average company) give Naugatuck a genuine identity distinct from any other Connecticut town in this dataset.

Pro: genuinely affordable housing

A median sale price of approximately $324,806-$325,000 (May 2026) runs genuinely below neighboring Cheshire and many other New Haven County towns, in a genuinely competitive, fast-moving market.

Con: a real, disclosed higher property tax rate

Naugatuck's property tax carries a real, disclosed 2.83%-3.98% effective-rate spread, genuinely higher than many neighboring New Haven County towns.

Con: a real, dated catastrophic flood history

A real, catastrophic flood struck Naugatuck on August 19, 1955, killing 8 people locally -- a real, disclosed hazard event, though substantially mitigated by real, subsequent USACE flood-control dams.

Key takeaways

Pro: a real, singular rubber-manufacturing heritage identity (first U.S. vulcanized-rubber factory, U.S. Rubber Company's 1892 founding).
Pro: genuinely affordable housing (~$325,000 median sale price) relative to neighboring towns.
Con: a real, disclosed 2.83%-3.98% effective property tax rate spread.
Con: a real, dated catastrophic 1955 flood (8 deaths in Naugatuck), mitigated by real subsequent flood-control infrastructure.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-27. Independent research; not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.