Old Lyme is a somewhat small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Connecticut. With a population of 7,684 people and three associated neighborhoods, Old Lyme is the 112th largest community in Connecticut. Old Lyme home prices are not only among the most expensive in Connecticut, but Old Lyme real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.Old Lyme is a decidedly white-collar town, with fully 88.40% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Old Lyme is a town of professionals, managers, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Old Lyme who work in management occupations (17.33%), sales jobs (10.12%), and food service (8.32%). Also of interest is that Old Lyme has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US. Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 21.28% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. 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. In addition, Old Lyme is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates". Urban sophisticates are educated, wealthy, executives and professionals, who have urbane tastes in books, food, and travel, whether they actually live in a big city, or choose to reside in a small town. In big or medium-sized cities, urban sophisticates tend to frequent art institutions such as opera, symphonies, ballet, live theatre, and museums. Because of many things, Old Lyme is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Old Lyme a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Old Lyme has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Old Lyme’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country. Old Lyme 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. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities. If knowledge is power, Old Lyme is a pretty powerful place. 54.56% of the adults in Old Lyme have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns. The per capita income in Old Lyme in 2022 was $75,411, which is wealthy relative to Connecticut and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $301,644 for a family of four. Old Lyme is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Old Lyme home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Old Lyme residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Old Lyme include Irish, Italian, English, German, and Polish. The most common language spoken in Old Lyme is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Italian.
