Because there are quite a few people attending college in West Haven, it is thought of as a college town. To the benefit of the many students in the area, West Haven provides a number of services, amenities and opportunities geared towards their needs and activities.
West Haven is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.
The overall education level of West Haven is somewhat higher than in the average US city of 21.84%: 26.72% of adults 25 and older in the city have at least a bachelor's degree.
The per capita income in West Haven in 2022 was $34,740, which is low income relative to Connecticut, and middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $138,960 for a family of four. However, West Haven contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
West Haven is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call West Haven home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of West Haven residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. West Haven also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 26.75% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in West Haven include Italian, Irish, German, English, and Polish.
Foreign born people are also an important part of West Haven's cultural character, accounting for 19.10% of the city’s population.
The most common language spoken in West Haven is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Arabic.
