Best places to live in Connecticut
An ideal town or neighborhood looks different for everyone.
Those who can't get enough of the outdoors may prioritize proximity to trails, lakes, and beaches, while parents are looking for places with top-ranked schools for their children. Culture lovers might want to live in a city with museums and art walks, whereas sports fans look for professional or college sports teams nearby.
Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Connecticut using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather.
On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums.
Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.
CORRECTION: A previously published version of this piece, in some cases, incorrectly listed private schools as public schools.
#22. Avon, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,395
- Population: 18,821
- Median household income: $130,268
- Median home value: $383,800 (84% own)
- Median rent: $1,485 (16% rent)
- Top public schools: Avon High School (grade A+), Avon Middle School (grade A), Roaring Brook School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Miss Porter's School (grade A+), Avon Old Farms School (grade A+), Kingswood Oxford School (grade A+)
#21. Cos Cob, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,407
- Population: 7,243
- Median household income: $185,125
- Median home value: $1,138,300 (66% own)
- Median rent: $2,412 (34% rent)
- Top public schools: Greenwich High School (grade A+), Center for Global Studies (grade A+), North Mianus School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Rye Country Day School (grade A+), French-American School of New York (grade A+), Greenwich Academy (grade A+)
#20. Fairfield, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,975
- Population: 61,737
- Median household income: $149,641
- Median home value: $627,100 (83% own)
- Median rent: $1,977 (17% rent)
- Top public schools: Center for Global Studies (grade A+), Fairfield Warde High School (grade A+), Sherman School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Pierrepont School (grade A+), Greens Farms Academy (grade A+), Bridgeport International Academy (grade A+)
#19. Farmington, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,586
- Population: 26,559
- Median household income: $106,773
- Median home value: $339,200 (74% own)
- Median rent: $1,567 (26% rent)
- Top public schools: Farmington High School (grade A+), East Farms School (grade A), West Woods Upper Elementary School (grade A)
- Top private schools: The Loomis Chaffee School (grade A+), Miss Porter's School (grade A+), Avon Old Farms School (grade A+)
#18. Glastonbury Center, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,094
- Population: 7,959
- Median household income: $104,557
- Median home value: $360,900 (69% own)
- Median rent: $1,657 (31% rent)
- Top public schools: Glastonbury High School (grade A+), Buttonball Lane School (grade A), Hopewell School (grade A)
- Top private schools: The Loomis Chaffee School (grade A+), Miss Porter's School (grade A+), Kingswood Oxford School (grade A+)
#17. Glastonbury, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,582
- Population: 35,061
- Median household income: $130,294
- Median home value: $355,500 (81% own)
- Median rent: $1,524 (19% rent)
- Top public schools: Glastonbury High School (grade A+), Buttonball Lane School (grade A), Hopewell School (grade A)
- Top private schools: The Loomis Chaffee School (grade A+), Miss Porter's School (grade A+), Kingswood Oxford School (grade A+)
#16. Glenville, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,883
- Population: 3,112
- Median household income: $197,619
- Median home value: $986,600 (72% own)
- Median rent: $2,453 (28% rent)
- Top public schools: Greenwich High School (grade A+), Blind Brook High School (grade A), Blind Brook-Rye Middle School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Rye Country Day School (grade A+), French-American School of New York (grade A+), Hackley School (grade A+)
#15. Greenwich, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,827
- Population: 63,455
- Median household income: $180,447
- Median home value: $1,377,000 (67% own)
- Median rent: $2,122 (33% rent)
- Top public schools: Greenwich High School (grade A+), Center for Global Studies (grade A+), International School at Dundee (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Rye Country Day School (grade A+), French-American School of New York (grade A+), Hackley School (grade A+)
#14. Old Greenwich, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,329
- Population: 7,060
- Median household income: $240,417
- Median home value: $1,632,000 (83% own)
- Median rent: $3,501 (17% rent)
- Top public schools: Greenwich High School (grade A+), Center for Global Studies (grade A+), International School at Dundee (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Rye Country Day School (grade A+), French-American School of New York (grade A+), Greenwich Academy (grade A+)
#13. Riverside, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,463
- Population: 9,093
- Median household income: $250,001
- Median home value: $1,626,900 (82% own)
- Median rent: $2,218 (18% rent)
- Top public schools: Greenwich High School (grade A+), Center for Global Studies (grade A+), International School at Dundee (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Rye Country Day School (grade A+), French-American School of New York (grade A+), Greenwich Academy (grade A+)
#12. Simsbury, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,397
- Population: 24,467
- Median household income: $134,688
- Median home value: $352,800 (78% own)
- Median rent: $1,632 (22% rent)
- Top public schools: Simsbury High School (grade A), Henry James Memorial School (grade A), Latimer Lane School (grade A)
- Top private schools: The Loomis Chaffee School (grade A+), Suffield Academy (grade A+), Miss Porter's School (grade A+)
#11. South Windsor, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,931
- Population: 26,719
- Median household income: $126,996
- Median home value: $291,400 (85% own)
- Median rent: $1,595 (15% rent)
- Top public schools: Pleasant Valley School (grade A), Orchard Hill School (grade A), Philip R. Smith School (grade A)
- Top private schools: The Loomis Chaffee School (grade A+), Suffield Academy (grade A+), Kingswood Oxford School (grade A+)
#10. Weatogue, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 942
- Population: 2,671
- Median household income: $154,716
- Median home value: $367,700 (82% own)
- Median rent: $1,953 (18% rent)
- Top public schools: Simsbury High School (grade A), Henry James Memorial School (grade A), Latimer Lane School (grade A)
- Top private schools: The Loomis Chaffee School (grade A+), Miss Porter's School (grade A+), Avon Old Farms School (grade A+)
#9. West Hartford, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 159
- Population: 64,088
- Median household income: $124,150
- Median home value: $370,500 (69% own)
- Median rent: $1,608 (31% rent)
- Top public schools: Conard High School (grade A+), Hall High School (grade A), Bugbee School (grade A)
- Top private schools: The Loomis Chaffee School (grade A+), Miss Porter's School (grade A+), Avon Old Farms School (grade A+)
#8. West Simsbury, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 2,312
- Population: 2,796
- Median household income: $175,045
- Median home value: $457,700 (90% own)
- Median rent: $2,176 (10% rent)
- Top public schools: Simsbury High School (grade A), Henry James Memorial School (grade A), Central School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Miss Porter's School (grade A+), Avon Old Farms School (grade A+), Westminster School (grade A+)
#7. Westport, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,431
- Population: 28,016
- Median household income: $206,466
- Median home value: $1,150,400 (85% own)
- Median rent: $1,956 (15% rent)
- Top public schools: Staples High School (grade A+), Green's Farms School (grade A+), Coleytown Elementary School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Pierrepont School (grade A+), St. Luke's School (grade A+), King School (grade A+)
#6. Wilton, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,790
- Population: 18,486
- Median household income: $209,635
- Median home value: $768,400 (90% own)
- Median rent: $2,039 (10% rent)
- Top public schools: Wilton High School (grade A+), Center for Global Studies (grade A+), Middlebrook School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Pierrepont School (grade A+), St. Luke's School (grade A+), King School (grade A+)
#5. Madison, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 2,346
- Population: 17,742
- Median household income: $140,990
- Median home value: $438,700 (90% own)
- Median rent: $1,617 (10% rent)
- Top public schools: Daniel Hand High School (grade A), Walter C. Polson Upper Middle School (grade A), J. Milton Jeffrey Elementary School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Choate Rosemary Hall (grade A+), Xavier High School (grade A), The Oxford Academy (grade A)
#4. Mystic, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 2,195
- Population: data not available
- Median household income: data not available
- Median home value: data not available (data not available own)
- Median rent: data not available (data not available rent)
- Top public schools:
- Top private schools:
#3. Ridgefield, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,901
- Population: 25,053
- Median household income: $160,258
- Median home value: $679,200 (86% own)
- Median rent: $1,801 (14% rent)
- Top public schools: Farmingville Elementary School (grade A+), Ridgefield High School (grade A+), Scotland Elementary School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: St. Luke's School (grade A+), The Harvey School (grade A+), Immaculate High School (grade A+)
#2. Noank, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,834
- Population: data not available
- Median household income: data not available
- Median home value: data not available (data not available own)
- Median rent: data not available (data not available rent)
- Top public schools:
- Top private schools:
#1. Newfield, Connecticut
- Overall Rank: 1,705
- Population: 18,249
- Median household income: $114,673
- Median home value: $456,680 (38% own)
- Median rent: $2,405 (62% rent)
- Top public schools: Center for Global Studies (grade A+), The Academy of Information Technology & Engineering (grade A), Stamford Excellence (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Rye Country Day School (grade A+), Greenwich Academy (grade A+), Brunswick School (grade A+)
This story features data reporting and writing by Elena Cox and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 42 states.
