About Essex
What it's like to live here
Essex is a Middlesex County town of about 6,800 people on the west bank of the Connecticut River, a few miles up from Long Island Sound. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook and Ivoryton. Route 9 runs through town, so downtown Middletown is about 30 minutes north and the Amtrak and Shore Line East station in Old Saybrook is about 10 minutes south, while the village streets, coves and preserves keep a quiet, walkable feel.
Essex was known as Potapoug until 1852. During the Revolution, Captain Uriah Hayden built the Oliver Cromwell, the first ship built and financed by the Colony of Connecticut, at the foot of Main Street, and more than 600 vessels were launched here between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. On April 8, 1814, British raiders rowed up the river and burned 28 vessels in the harbor. Later, Comstock, Cheney & Co. made Ivoryton a center of ivory and piano key manufacturing, and its worker homes and Victorian houses still stand.
Our Middletown office at 32 Washington Street is about 30 minutes up Route 9, and our headquarters is at 40 West High Street in East Hampton. Our agents live and sell here.
Essex Highlights
- The Griswold Inn, one of the oldest continuously run inns in the country
- The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, based in Centerbrook
- The Connecticut River Museum at Steamboat Dock
- The Ivoryton Playhouse, in a hall built for the Comstock-Cheney ivory factory
Essex market at a glance
Essex real estate market
Year to date through August 2026, single-family homes in Essex sold for a median of $770,450, closed at a median of 101.5% of list price, and spent a median of 48 days on the market. At the end of August, 24 single-family homes were for sale (3.6 months of supply). Condos and townhouses sold for a median of $517,500.
Written figures: SmartMLS Local Market Update, single-family, year to date through August 2026. Charts update automatically from SmartMLS, include all property types, and show rolling 12-month data.
Neighborhoods
Getting to know Essex
Essex Village
Once called Potapoug Point, the riverfront village of Main Street shops, Federal-style homes, the Griswold Inn and the Connecticut River Museum.
Steamboat Dock
The waterfront at the foot of Main Street, where the Connecticut River Museum occupies an 1878 steamboat warehouse listed on the National Register.
Centerbrook
The town's original center, home of the Essex Steam Train's main station, Essex Elementary School and the 1790 Centerbrook Congregational Church, the oldest church building in Middlesex County.
Ivoryton
The former company village of ivory maker Comstock, Cheney & Co., listed on the National Register as the Ivoryton Historic District in 2014 and home of the Ivoryton Playhouse.
Scotch Plains
Farmland in the Mud River basin along Route 153, part of the agricultural area that surrounds Centerbrook.
Lynde Plains
The fertile flats running parallel to Main Street in Centerbrook along the banks of the Falls River.
Buying or selling
Why Essex?
Why buy in Essex
- Route 9 runs through town, with downtown Middletown about 30 minutes north and the Old Saybrook train station about 10 minutes south
- Regional School District 4: Essex Elementary School in Centerbrook, then John Winthrop Middle School and Valley Regional High School in Deep River
- 27 open space preserves covering more than 1,100 acres, including Viney Hill Brook, Bushy Hill and Canfield-Meadow Woods
- Main Street shops and restaurants in Essex Village, plus the Essex Library and the Ivoryton Library
- The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, the Connecticut River Museum and the Ivoryton Playhouse
Why sell in Essex now
- Single-family homes are selling in a median of 48 days (year to date through August 2026)
- Sellers are getting a median of 101.5% of list price
- The single-family median sale price is $770,450 year to date
- About 3.6 months of supply, still a seller's market
Questions
Essex real estate FAQ
What is the median home price in Essex, CT?
For single-family homes, $770,450 year to date through August 2026, according to the SmartMLS Local Market Update. Condos and townhouses: $517,500. The live charts above show the latest trend.
What is the property tax rate in Essex?
The mill rate for fiscal year 2026-27 is 19.26 for real estate, per the Town of Essex. That is $19.26 in tax per $1,000 of assessed value, and Connecticut assesses homes at 70% of market value.
How far is Essex from Middletown and Hartford?
Downtown Middletown is about 21 miles, roughly 30 minutes, up Route 9. Downtown Hartford is about 37 miles, roughly 50 minutes. The Old Saybrook train station, with Amtrak and Shore Line East service, is about 5 miles south.
What schools serve Essex?
Essex is part of Regional School District 4 with Chester and Deep River. Essex Elementary School in Centerbrook serves PreK-6, then students move on to John Winthrop Middle School and Valley Regional High School (9-12), both in Deep River.
Does Carl Guild & Associates have an office near Essex?
Yes. Our Middletown office at 32 Washington Street is about 30 minutes up Route 9, and our headquarters is at 40 West High Street in East Hampton. Call 860-474-3500.
Currently on the market
Homes for sale in Essex
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Nearby
Other towns in Middlesex County
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