13 Most Popular Connecticut Stereotypes (Fact vs Fiction)

If you’ve ever wondered what a stereotypical person from Connecticut is like, you came to the right place. I’ve compiled a list of all the most common Connecticut stereotypes and made a list of the top ones.

Not only that, but as a Connecticut resident myself, I decided to either confirm or deny each stereotype individually. So let’s get started.

Connecticut Stereotypes that are Not Accurate

I’m going to start with all of the stereotypes that are not accurate. You can put the following stereotypes to rest.

1. All people from Connecticut are rich

Although Greenwich Connecticut is known as one of the wealthiest towns in the county, the state as a whole has a massive wealth gap. There’s a huge income disparity between Fairfield County and the rest of Connecticut. So, to dispel the myth, no, not everyone from Connecticut is rich.

2. Everyone from Connecticut cares about Uconn Basketball

Since there are no major professional sports teams in CT (sorry Connecticut Sun), there’s a sizable following for Uconn Basketball. With that being said, most people don’t follow or care about the sport at all.

They only hear about Uconn Basketball once a year when the women inevitably win a national title. Aside from that, very few people talk about Uconn.

3. Connecticut has terrible drivers

According to statistics, Connecticut consistently ranks as one of the worst states to drive in. I would argue that is only partially true. Yes, Connecticut has some bad drivers, but it also has one of the highest population densities in the country. So, naturally, there will be more auto accidents.

I know I’m a bit biased here, but there’s no way that Connecticut drivers are worse than New York or Massachusetts drivers.

4. Everyone owns a pair of boat shoes

This one goes hand and hand with the “all people from CT are wealthy” stereotype. Only a small percentage of the population has ever stepped on a private boat, and even fewer people actually own one.

Not everyone in Connecticut goes sailing, especially if you live away from the coastline (most people live inland). Don’t believe me? Check out this map of Connecticut.

5. Nutmeggers would prefer to live in New York or Boston

There’s a widespread belief that people that live in CT have a built-in inferiority complex and that they would prefer to live in New York or Boston. This can’t be further from the truth. While Nutmeggers do enjoy the occasional trip to NYC, it would be a nightmare to live there full-time. We live in quiet suburbs for a reason.

6. Everyone from Connecticut went to college

People from Connecticut do have a higher likelihood of having at least some college education compared to most of the United States. However, not everyone in CT goes to college. More than 50% of the population has not attended college.

7. All of Connecticut is White

Depending on where you go, there’s a belief that all of Connecticut is white. This is simply inaccurate as Connecticut ranks in the top 20 most culturally diverse states. This is especially true in the cities like Bridgeport, Waterbury, Hartford, and New Haven.

8. People from CT love the winter

Yes, Connecticut does get a fair amount of snow, however, that doesn’t mean we necessarily enjoy it. The state gets an average of 3 feet of snow per year and it always seems to knock out the power lines for a few days. This coupled with the cold weather is annoying for most people.

9. Nutmeggers love to gossip

While this is true to some degree, people from Connecticut don’t gossip any more than people from other states. Small-town gossip is real, but it’s not something unique to Connecticut.

10. Connecticut is all suburbs

Connecticut is widely known as a stereotypical suburban paradise. While we do love our suburbs in Connecticut, the state does have some cities. In fact, 80 percent of Connecticut residents live in an urban center according to U.S. census data.

With that being said, there are still plenty of small suburbs and rural towns to move to if you prefer to be left alone.

Stereotypes of Connecticut Residents that are True

So now that we’ve covered the stereotypes that aren’t true, let’s talk about the ones that do have some merit. These are the stereotypes that are true in Connecticut.

11. Everyone drinks Dunkin’ Donuts coffee

It does seem like everyone in Connecticut drinks Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. There are nearly 4 times as many Dunkin’ Donuts locations as Starbucks locations, so this one makes perfect sense. I don’t drink coffee myself, but I can confirm this stereotype.

12. Connecticut residents are either diehard Red Sox fans or diehard Yankees fans

This is another factually accurate Connecticut stereotype. The northern part of the state loves Boston sports teams, while the southern part of the state loves New York sports teams (although you can find people in the north that like New York teams, and vice versa).

The rivalry is palpable and fairly obvious to an outsider. People in Connecticut are visibly much more passionate about Boston and New York sports than Uconn sports.

13. People from the state of Connecticut are rude

While Nutmeggers certainly aren’t as rude as native New Yorkers, we can be cold at times. But it’s really not our fault. If you had to sit in traffic on I-95 for 3 hours each day, you’d be a bit impatient too.

Connecticut Stereotype – Final Thoughts

Those are Connecticut’s most common stereotypes. Ultimately, some of the stereotypes are true, however, many of CT’s stereotypes are false. If you want to learn more about Connecticut, I highly recommend you check out this article detailing all of the things that Connecticut is known for.