East Lyme is a medium-sized coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Connecticut. With a population of 18,788 people and five constituent neighborhoods, East Lyme is the 62nd largest community in Connecticut.
Housing costs in East Lyme are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Connecticut.
Also of interest is that East Lyme has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.
Of important note, East Lyme is also a town of artists. East Lyme has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape East Lyme’s character.
One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 11.45% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.
East Lyme is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, East Lyme’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.
One of the nice things about East Lyme is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.
The education level of East Lyme ranks among the highest in the nation. Of the 25-and-older adult population in East Lyme, 48.84% have at least a bachelor's degree. The typical US community has just 21.84% of its adults holding a bachelor's degree or graduate degree.
The per capita income in East Lyme in 2018 was $49,485, which is middle income relative to Connecticut, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $197,940 for a family of four.
East Lyme is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call East Lyme home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of East Lyme residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in East Lyme include Irish, Italian, English, German, and Polish.
The most common language spoken in East Lyme is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.