06426 ZIP Code — Essex, CT

Middlesex County, Connecticut

ZIP code 06426 is located in Essex, Connecticut, within Middlesex County. It covers approximately 5.63 square miles and serves a population of 3,377 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 860/959.

About ZIP code 06426

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $690,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($97,778) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 44% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 29 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 23% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 72% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 06426 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,377

population

5.63

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

06426 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 06426

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 06426. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Essex	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

06409 Centerbrook (0.6 mi) 06442 Ivoryton (2.3 mi) 06417 Deep River (3 mi) 06371 Old Lyme (3.2 mi) 06475 Old Saybrook (3.4 mi) 06498 Westbrook (4.3 mi) 06412 Chester (5.6 mi) 06413 Clinton (7.8 mi) 06333 East Lyme (8.8 mi) 06423 East Haddam (8.8 mi) 06438 Haddam (9.3 mi) 06419 Killingworth (9.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,377
Population density	600 / sq mi
State FIPS	09
County FIPS	007

Geography
Land area	5.63 sq mi
Water area	1.34 sq mi
Latitude	41.3491
Longitude	-72.4022
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	860/959

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	21.3%	28.8%	32.0%
$50k – $100k	21.6%	28.9%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	27.1%	30.3%	27.1%
Over $200k	30.1%	12.1%	13.2%

Demographics & statistics

3,377

Population

600

People per sq mi

59.0

Median age

$97,778

Median household income

$74,033

Per capita income

$690,500

Median home value

$1,394

Median monthly rent

76.6%

Home ownership

7.8%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

1,321

Housing units

72.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

113

154

45–54

185

243

55–59

291

141

60–64

170

268

65–74

321

157

75–84

188

139

85+

167

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	431	12.8%
18 and over	2,946	87.2%
65 and over	1,240	36.7%
Median age	59.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 88.7%

Two or more races 4.6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.1%

Asian 2.8%

Black or African American 0.8%

Group	Count	%
White	3,090	88.7%
Two or more races	160	4.6%
Hispanic or Latino	107	3.1%
Asian	98	2.8%
Black or African American	28	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	21.3%	28.8%	32.0%
$50k – $100k	21.6%	28.9%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	27.1%	30.3%	27.1%
Over $200k	30.1%	12.1%	13.2%

Under $10k 3.6%

$10k–$15k 2.4%

$15k–$25k 4.0%

$25k–$35k 12.2%

$35k–$50k 1.8%

$50k–$75k 13.6%

$75k–$100k 12.9%

$100k–$150k 9.0%

$150k–$200k 10.2%

$200k+ 30.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.6%
$10k–$15k	2.4%
$15k–$25k	4.0%
$25k–$35k	12.2%
$35k–$50k	1.8%
$50k–$75k	13.6%
$75k–$100k	12.9%
$100k–$150k	9.0%
$150k–$200k	10.2%
$200k+	30.3%
Median income	$97,778

Housing

Home values

$200k–$300k 7.0%

$300k–$500k 23.1%

$500k–$1M 45.2%

$1M+ 24.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$690,500
Median rent / month	$1,394
Owner occupied	76.6%
Renter occupied	23.4%
Vacant	6.8%
Single-family detached	69.1%
Large apartment buildings	5.8%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.26

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.3%
2000–2009	8.2%
1990–1999	8.7%
1980–1989	10.8%
1970–1979	7.6%
1960–1969	19.2%
1950–1959	8.6%
1940–1949	1.5%
1939 or earlier	29.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.5%
1 bedroom	8.2%
2 bedrooms	29.7%
3 bedrooms	41.1%
4 bedrooms	18.3%
5+ bedrooms	1.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.8%
1 vehicle	29.3%
2 vehicles	41.9%
3 or more	21.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.7%
Electricity	21.7%
Propane / LP gas	15.9%
Fuel oil	53.0%
Wood	0.5%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	918	58.3%
Cohabiting couple	44	2.8%
Male householder, no spouse	159	10.1%
Female householder, no spouse	453	28.8%
Households with children under 18	167	10.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	795	50.5%
Average household size	2.09

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	22.7%	14.6%
Married	67.6%	59.3%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	3.7%	12.7%
Divorced	6.0%	13.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.1%

Some HS, no diploma 0.7%

HS graduate 11.5%

Some college, no degree 9.0%

Associate's degree 6.5%

Bachelor's degree 39.8%

Graduate / professional 32.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	99.1%
Bachelor's or higher	72.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	83	13.5%
Kindergarten	29	4.7%
Elementary school	131	21.3%
High school	131	21.3%
College / grad school	240	39.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.2%

Finance & real estate 17.5%

Professional & management 12.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.6%

Manufacturing 8.6%

Public administration 7.4%

Retail trade 6.5%

Construction 6.0%

Transportation & utilities 3.6%

Other services 3.3%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Information 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	63.8%
Service	9.2%
Sales & office	10.5%
Natural resources & construction	4.9%
Production & transportation	11.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.4%
Government	15.0%
Self-employed	14.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	66.3%
Carpool	3.3%
Public transit	1.2%
Walk	5.9%
Work from home	23.3%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.1

Poverty

All people 7.8%

Under 18 years 12.8%

18 and over 7.1%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.8%
Retirement income	27.6%
Supplemental Security	1.7%
Cash public assistance	2.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	27.6%
High blood pressure	37.6%
High cholesterol	38.3%
Diabetes	10.2%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	9.5%
Arthritis	32.0%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	10.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	11.6%
Binge drinking	13.5%
No physical activity	16.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.2%
Depression	18.2%
Fair or poor health	10.3%
Poor mental health	11.0%
Poor physical health	8.9%
No health insurance	5.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.1%
Visited dentist	77.5%
Cholesterol screening	95.8%
Teeth loss	8.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	400	13.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.4%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	5.1%
65 and over	27.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.7%
Public insurance	44.0%
No insurance	2.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,238	95.9%
Spanish	23	0.7%
Other Indo-European	23	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,982	88.3%
Born in same state	2,948	87.3%
Born in different state	1,457	43.1%
Foreign born	34	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	395	11.7%
Not a US citizen	288	72.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	841	24.9%
French	668	19.8%
Arab	183	5.4%
English	76	2.3%
German	70	2.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	70	2.1%
Irish	40	1.2%
Dutch	7	0.2%
Polish	2	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.6%
Internet access	95.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 06426

What city is ZIP code 06426 in?

ZIP code 06426 is primarily assigned to Essex, Connecticut.

What county is ZIP code 06426 in?

ZIP code 06426 falls within Middlesex County, Connecticut.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 06426?

72% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Does ZIP code 06426 have an older population?

37% of residents in ZIP code 06426 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 06426 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 06426 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 06426 have a large veteran population?

14% of civilians in ZIP code 06426 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 06426 in?

ZIP code 06426 observes the EST timezone.