Bethel is a medium-sized town located in the state of Connecticut. With a population of 20,684 people and four associated neighborhoods, Bethel is the 55th largest community in Connecticut. Housing costs in Bethel 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.Bethel is a decidedly white-collar town, with fully 85.05% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Bethel is a town of managers, professionals, and sales and office workers. There are especially a lot of people living in Bethel who work in management occupations (18.42%), sales jobs (11.98%), and office and administrative support (9.20%). One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 12.40% 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. Bethel 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, Bethel’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.The citizens of Bethel are among the most well-educated in the nation: 44.27% of adults in Bethel have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree, whereas the average US city has 21.84% holding at least a bachelor's degree. The per capita income in Bethel in 2022 was $53,107, which is middle income relative to Connecticut, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $212,428 for a family of four. However, Bethel contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Bethel is an extremely ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Bethel home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Bethel residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Bethel also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 12.93% of the town’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Bethel include Italian, Irish, German, English, and Brazilian. Foreign born people are also an important part of Bethel's cultural character, accounting for 20.65% of the town’s population. The most common language spoken in Bethel is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Portuguese.
