Bethlehem, Connecticut

Town · population 3,385 (2020 Census)

Median home: $410,900
Household income: $108,929
Jan low / Jul high: 15° / 82°
Snow a year: 47 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 16
Median age: 51.5

Bethlehem is a town of 3,385 people, Connecticut. The median home is worth $410,900, above the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). It ranks quieter than 86% of Connecticut towns, better for retirees than 85% of Connecticut towns, better for young professionals than 79% of Connecticut towns.

Bethlehem in our rankings:

How Bethlehem ranks

Percentile among Connecticut towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Connecticut towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Bethlehem is worth $410,900, above the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). Homes cost about 3.8 times the median household income of $108,929, which is more affordable than 40% of Connecticut towns. Median rent is $1,127 a month. 70.2% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Connecticut towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Bethlehem	Typical Connecticut town
Median home value	$410,900	$376,000
Median rent	$1,127	$1,462
Median household income	$108,929	$109,167
Home value ÷ income	3.8×	3.6×
Homeownership	70.2%	80.3%
Median year built	1976	1969
Seasonal / vacation homes	2.4%	—

Who lives in Bethlehem

People	Bethlehem	Typical Connecticut town
Median age	51.5	45.0
Age 65 and over	24.5%	20.6%
Under 18	16.3%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	39.2%	45.8%
Below the poverty line	10.4%	5.7%
Veterans	8.4%	—
Born outside the U.S.	7.0%	—
Work from home	13.9%	16.8%
Average commute	29.0 min	27.6 min
Homes with broadband	85.5%	93.8%

Weather in Bethlehem

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 14.7°F. About 54.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 46.8 inches of snow (typical Connecticut town: 39.0 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 158 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Bakersville station (17.7 mi away); snow from Woodbury (5.8 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bethlehem since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Connecticut town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 24, 1962 about 7.6 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 129 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on August 27, 2020.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 23 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 31, 2002.

Public schools in Bethlehem

1 public school with 280 students, about 14.7 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Bethlehem Elementary School	PK-5	280	14.7

Towns near Bethlehem

Woodbury, CT
5.1 mi · 9,723 people · home $469,900
Watertown, CT
5.2 mi · 22,105 people · home $333,500
Watertown, CT
5.2 mi · 3,938 people · home $293,300
Washington, CT
5.3 mi · 3,646 people · home $660,200
Thomaston, CT
6.3 mi · 7,442 people · home $282,600
Oakville, CT
7.0 mi · 9,504 people · home $280,500
Litchfield, CT
7.3 mi · 8,192 people · home $391,900
Middlebury, CT
8.9 mi · 7,574 people · home $476,400

Bethlehem questions

Is Bethlehem, Connecticut a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bethlehem scores better for retirees than 85% of Connecticut towns and quieter than 86%. 24.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.5).

How much does a house cost in Bethlehem?

The median owner-occupied home in Bethlehem is valued at $410,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $108,929, so homes cost about 3.8 times income. Median rent is $1,127 a month.

What is the weather like in Bethlehem?

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 14.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 54.2 inches of precipitation a year and 46.8 inches of snow.

Does Bethlehem get tornadoes?

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bethlehem since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 24, 1962. The typical Connecticut town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Bethlehem's Census boundary (GEOID 0914004930). Comparisons use the median of Connecticut towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-12.