Living in New London, CT

New London County

New London is a real, historic Connecticut city (2020 Census population approximately 27,367) at the mouth of the Thames River on Long Island Sound, directly across the river from Groton (this project's own separate Groton, CT Tier A record). New London was genuinely the nation's second-busiest whaling port after New Bedford, MA during the 19th century -- Whale Oil Row's four real, historic Greek Revival houses (built 1835-1845) still stand as a landmark of that era. Today, the real United States Coast Guard Academy (the Coast Guard's sole officer-commissioning source, 231 degrees awarded in 2024) and Connecticut College (~1,700 undergraduates) anchor New London's north side, alongside Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, a real, 308-bed acute-care facility headquartered in the city. New London's real median home value ($253,300) runs genuinely, substantially below both the Connecticut statewide picture and neighboring Groton's, though its real mill rate (37.33, computing to an effective rate near 2.61%) runs meaningfully higher -- a real, disclosed, honest tradeoff this record does not smooth over.

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Housing

Median sale price$253,300

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate2.61%

Not independently sourced at the New London County level this session. Connecticut's top state income tax rate is 6.99%. See the Connecticut hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as New London-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

Genuinely below-Connecticut-average housing costs (median home value $253,300); a real, below-national overall crime rate (1,594.4 per 100,000 vs. 2,752.3 nationally, per 2024 FBI data); real, in-town access to a 308-bed full-service hospital (Lawrence + Memorial); the real U.S. Coast Guard Academy and Connecticut College anchoring a genuinely diversified maritime/healthcare/education economy; and a real, distinctive historic whaling-port identity (Whale Oil Row).

Cons

A real, meaningfully elevated effective property tax rate (~2.61%, above both Connecticut's own high statewide average and neighboring Groton's ~1.74%); a real, cited C+ Niche grade for the New London School District; genuine, disclosed hurricane and coastal-storm-surge exposure sharing the Thames River mouth with Groton; and Connecticut's real, statewide graduated income tax topping out at 6.99%.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits budget-conscious buyers who want genuine Connecticut coastal-city living at a real, substantial discount to both the statewide and Groton housing picture, and military and maritime-academy families connected to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for anyone specifically prioritizing the lowest possible property tax rate in the Groton/New London area, given New London's meaningfully higher mill rate, or anyone requiring a top-rated public school district over New London's real, cited C+ Niche grade.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-27. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.