Are you thinking of moving to Waterbury, Connecticut, and already have your bags packed? In this episode of CT Life, I’m going to show you 10 things you need to know about living in Waterbury before you get here. Before you pack your bags, these are details you’ll need to know to decide if this area is right for you.

Traffic, Property Prices, And Taxes

The first thing you need to know is that the traffic in Waterbury is one of the worst in Connecticut—though it's still probably better than New York. The reason traffic is congested in Waterbury is it's one of the state’s central hubs. Because it also has all the major highways that run through it, everybody's coming in and out of Waterbury.

The second thing you need to know about Waterbury is that it’s one of the least expensive real estate priced towns in all of Connecticut—though that comes at an expense. The property taxes are very high here. To give you an example, a raised ranch in Prospect, Connecticut, at about 1800 square feet, will have a tax bill of $6,000. That same property in Waterbury will have a tax bill of $12,000.

So if you're thinking about buying a property in Waterbury, be mindful of the taxes. There are great things that come with those taxes, however, including city sewer, city water, and city gas.

Weather, Restaurants, And History

The third thing to consider is that Waterbury is a New England city. It's cold in the winter—like, really, really cold. So if you're moving here from warmer climates, you need to know that. We have a full four seasons and our winters barely break 40 degrees. We also have storms that drop 18-24 inches at a clip.

The fourth thing you're going to find out when you get here to Waterbury is that it has a plethora of eating establishments. One of the main things it's known for is its pizza. On every block in Waterbury, there is a pizza place. In addition, there are plenty of amazing restaurants to try, including La Tavola, D'Amelio's, San Marino, Brass City Bistro, and Nino's—just to name a few.

The fifth thing you’ll want to know is that Waterbury has some great historic things to do here. One of them is the Palace Theater, one of the most famous theaters in all of Connecticut. The Jersey Boys have even played there.

Transportation, Colleges, And Affordability

The sixth thing you need to know about Waterbury, Connecticut is that you need a car here. While it's very easy to get around, you still need a car to get to the bus station, train station, and anywhere else you're going to go. That being said, the public transportation of Waterbury is pretty good. You can take the Metro North to travel to New York City or get direct to Boston—but you’ll still need a car to do it.

The next thing people are surprised to find out about Waterbury is that it's home to not one, not two, but four college campuses. Those colleges are Naugatuck Valley Community Technical College, the University of Bridgeport Post University, the University of Connecticut's downtown Waterbury campus, and Western Connecticut University's regional campus.

The next thing you're going to be pretty surprised about is that Waterbury is pretty affordable. The average three-bedroom house in Waterbury is only $153,000. If you're coming here from New York City, that might buy your parking spot or maybe a closet.

Crime And Population

The ninth thing you need to know about Waterbury is it does have its fair share of crime. But then again, so does every city in Connecticut and every city where you're coming from as well. Waterbury is ranked as the third-worst in crime in all of Connecticut, but it's not number one.

Finally, the tenth thing you're going to learn about Waterbury is it has one of the largest populations of all the cities in Connecticut. There's only a handful of cities that have more than 100,000—and Waterbury is one of them.

Is Waterbury, Connecticut Right For You?

Now that you have more insight into Waterbury, Connecticut—and if you still want to move here—we want to be the team that helps you do that. Feel free to give us a call at (203) 758-0264 and one of our people would gladly show you properties as soon as this weekend.

If you have any additional questions about Waterbury or anywhere in Connecticut, I'm the guy you want to talk to. I've lived in the area my whole life, and I’m always happy to help. And if you simply want to learn more about this town, make sure to subscribe to my channel so you never miss an episode of CT Life.