06451 ZIP Code — Meriden, CT

New Haven County, Connecticut

ZIP code 06451 is located in Meriden, Connecticut, within New Haven County. It covers approximately 9.83 square miles and serves a population of 24,482 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 203/475.

About ZIP code 06451

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 $206,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 53%.

Median household income is $59,540. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 24% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 34% 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 24 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 06451 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

24,482

population

9.83

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

06451 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 06451

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 06451. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Meriden	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

06450 Meriden (2 mi) 06037 Berlin (5 mi) 06479 Plantsville (5 mi) 06411 Cheshire (5.1 mi) 06408 Cheshire (5.1 mi) 06410 Cheshire (5.1 mi) 06489 Southington (5.2 mi) 06495 Wallingford (5.5 mi) 06494 Wallingford (5.6 mi) 06492 Wallingford (5.7 mi) 06455 Middlefield (5.7 mi) 06493 Wallingford (5.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	24,482
Population density	2,491 / sq mi
State FIPS	09
County FIPS	009

Geography
Land area	9.83 sq mi
Water area	0.22 sq mi
Latitude	41.5384
Longitude	-72.8188
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	203/475

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.9%	35.9%	32.0%
$50k – $100k	31.8%	28.9%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	20.9%	25.5%	27.1%
Over $200k	4.4%	9.7%	13.2%

Demographics & statistics

24,482

Population

2,491

People per sq mi

40.0

Median age

$59,540

Median household income

$35,620

Per capita income

$206,700

Median home value

$1,146

Median monthly rent

53.4%

Home ownership

17.9%

Poverty rate

8.9%

Unemployment

6,438

Housing units

19.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

758

Under 5

795

707

5–9

741

711

10–14

746

698

15–19

733

691

20–24

725

1,593

25–34

1,672

1,618

35–44

1,697

1,424

45–54

1,495

802

55–59

842

1,095

60–64

1,148

898

65–74

943

634

75–84

665

318

85+

333

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,227	21.4%
18 and over	19,255	78.6%
65 and over	3,791	15.5%
Median age	40.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 48.1%

Hispanic or Latino 20%

Two or more races 16.4%

Black or African American 7.6%

Other race 6%

Asian 1.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	14,715	48.1%
Hispanic or Latino	6,130	20%
Two or more races	5,022	16.4%
Black or African American	2,328	7.6%
Other race	1,838	6%
Asian	500	1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	61	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	18	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.9%	35.9%	32.0%
$50k – $100k	31.8%	28.9%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	20.9%	25.5%	27.1%
Over $200k	4.4%	9.7%	13.2%

Under $10k 6.0%

$10k–$15k 5.8%

$15k–$25k 9.7%

$25k–$35k 10.6%

$35k–$50k 10.3%

$50k–$75k 14.7%

$75k–$100k 14.0%

$100k–$150k 15.7%

$150k–$200k 7.7%

$200k+ 5.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.0%
$10k–$15k	5.8%
$15k–$25k	9.7%
$25k–$35k	10.6%
$35k–$50k	10.3%
$50k–$75k	14.7%
$75k–$100k	14.0%
$100k–$150k	15.7%
$150k–$200k	7.7%
$200k+	5.6%
Median income	$59,540

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.8%

$50k–$100k 1.7%

$100k–$150k 9.3%

$150k–$200k 32.1%

$200k–$300k 33.8%

$300k–$500k 16.4%

$500k–$1M 2.8%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$206,700
Median rent / month	$1,146
Owner occupied	53.4%
Renter occupied	46.6%
Vacant	9.0%
Single-family detached	49.2%
Large apartment buildings	14.6%
Mobile homes	1.6%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.54

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.0%
2000–2009	5.4%
1990–1999	5.4%
1980–1989	8.9%
1970–1979	15.1%
1960–1969	9.8%
1950–1959	18.8%
1940–1949	7.6%
1939 or earlier	28.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.8%
1 bedroom	15.8%
2 bedrooms	30.5%
3 bedrooms	37.0%
4 bedrooms	10.9%
5+ bedrooms	2.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	14.5%
1 vehicle	36.5%
2 vehicles	33.4%
3 or more	15.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	44.2%
Electricity	13.5%
Propane / LP gas	3.7%
Fuel oil	35.1%
Wood	0.2%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	2.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,553	35.0%
Cohabiting couple	724	7.1%
Male householder, no spouse	1,821	17.9%
Female householder, no spouse	4,065	40.0%
Households with children under 18	2,669	26.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,826	27.8%
Average household size	2.39

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	46.0%	36.6%
Married	43.6%	36.0%
Separated	1.3%	1.0%
Widowed	2.4%	11.2%
Divorced	6.6%	15.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.7%

Some HS, no diploma 8.4%

HS graduate 35.8%

Some college, no degree 20.9%

Associate's degree 7.7%

Bachelor's degree 12.2%

Graduate / professional 7.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.8%
Bachelor's or higher	19.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	214	3.7%
Kindergarten	375	6.5%
Elementary school	2,258	39.3%
High school	1,261	21.9%
College / grad school	1,642	28.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.5%

Manufacturing 15.7%

Professional & management 10.3%

Retail trade 9.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.6%

Transportation & utilities 6.6%

Construction 6.0%

Wholesale trade 4.9%

Other services 4.4%

Public administration 4.2%

Finance & real estate 3.7%

Information 1.4%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.9%
Service	16.5%
Sales & office	20.3%
Natural resources & construction	8.2%
Production & transportation	19.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.6%
Government	13.3%
Self-employed	4.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.3%
Carpool	11.8%
Public transit	2.5%
Walk	1.6%
Work from home	5.1%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.3

Poverty

All people 17.9%

Under 18 years 36.3%

18 and over 12.9%

Married-couple families 4.1%

Female-led households 23.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.1%
Retirement income	25.0%
Supplemental Security	9.3%
Cash public assistance	6.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	23.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.2%
High blood pressure	31.3%
High cholesterol	32.4%
Diabetes	10.5%
Heart disease	5.9%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	11.1%
Arthritis	23.5%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	6.6%
Cancer	6.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.1%
Binge drinking	15.3%
No physical activity	25.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.7%
Depression	20.5%
Fair or poor health	14.3%
Poor mental health	15.3%
Poor physical health	10.3%
No health insurance	13.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.3%
Visited dentist	66.3%
Cholesterol screening	90.0%
Teeth loss	12.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	718	3.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.9%
Under 18	7.5%
18–64 years	12.3%
65 and over	42.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	55.0%
Public insurance	50.6%
No insurance	5.0%
Uninsured under 19	2.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	22,929	93.7%
Spanish	3,453	15.1%
Other Indo-European	3,063	13.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	173	0.8%
Other languages	184	0.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	22,143	90.4%
Born in same state	19,138	78.2%
Born in different state	14,669	59.9%
Foreign born	3,005	12.3%
Naturalized citizen	2,339	9.6%
Not a US citizen	911	38.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,390	9.8%
French	1,501	6.1%
German	728	3%
Arab	584	2.4%
English	144	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	132	0.5%
Polish	79	0.3%
Norwegian	67	0.3%
Dutch	40	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.5%
Internet access	89.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 06451

What city is ZIP code 06451 in?

ZIP code 06451 is primarily assigned to Meriden, Connecticut.

What county is ZIP code 06451 in?

ZIP code 06451 falls within New Haven County, Connecticut.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 06451?

18% of residents in ZIP code 06451 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 06451?

ZIP code 06451 has an estimated population of 24,482 residents, with a density of 2,491 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 06451?

The median home value in ZIP code 06451 is $206,700.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 06451?

The median household income in ZIP code 06451 is $59,540, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 06451 in?

ZIP code 06451 observes the EST timezone.