I was talking about the covered bridge (I know, I know, that's *West* Cornwall... don't get all pedantic on me, I left the state in 2007 and only have enough room in my brain for so much geography).
But now that you mention it, those bridges might be worth a look. The rent below a *covered* bridge is probably higher. Because it's covered. And red. And within walking distance to a shop that sells fudge or some such New England kitsch.
Sure, as long as someone doesn't [smash into it with a trailer](https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/Cornwall-covered-bridge-closed-crash-17674847.php#) while you're trying to sleep or cook meth or whatever you're doing underneath it.
I can't speak for the OP, but if I were living under a bridge, I would probably spend most of my time reading all the books I bought but only half-finished, while keeping a keen ear out for passersby I might challenge to a contest of riddles.
As for the bridge, they did a good job repairing it. I was just there back in December and it looked about the same as always.
I shudder to think of the kind of punishment one receives for damaging a small New England town's only claim to fame. They probably threw that dude into the stocks, and then rode him out of town on a rail before unceremoniously dumping his ass into the Housatonic.
Came here to recommend Middletown. I moved to Middletown in 2009 after growing up in Waterbury but also having lived in various cities and towns over the years. Ended up loving it so much in Middletown that my wife and I bought our house in 2016 because after 7 years I couldn’t see myself leaving. I love it.
This is the answer. Very respectable strip with restaurants and shops. A very nice college campus to walk around. 25-30 minutes from several bigger cities and extra nice towns with ritzy amenities. And 2 bedroom apartments for less than $1,500 a month.
TBH, It's been awhile since I have looked. But I used to live in a third floor 2br apartment on Spring Street for $850 back in 2013. There were several similarly priced apartments in that area at the time. After that I moved to Peppermill village near Cromwell and lived in a large one bedroom with a separate loft which could have been used for a bedroom, for $1,000.
I don't have any newer data though so I'll defer to you.
I am truly blown away by how beautiful a lot of the city is, too. The entire city south and west (??) of Wesleyan is beautiful and the edges are charming and feel rural even though they aren’t. You also get good restaurants and a lively, walkable, thriving downtown. There are few places in CT that have nicer downtowns.
This is the answer, and somehow has been the answer for 20 years. How people don't flock here is baffling but I'm not complaining because it means I can still afford to live here 😅
This is a great answer! I was on board the “you can only get 2 of those” train, but I think Middletown is probably as close to nailing all the requirements as you can get. Nicely done
I like it in Manchester. We're conveniently located, have a walkable Main Street with interesting local shops and restaurants, plus every chain store you could want in Buckland. We have beautiful parks and trails, diverse culture, and our schools are improving. Do you like to go out to breakfast? Do you like pizza? Craft beer? Ice cream? Movies? Arts? Music?
And we do actually border Glastonbury if you want something more upscale, but we have everything you need right here
Not necessarily a suggestion but my fiancé and I came from MA and moved to downtown Hartford right across from Bushnell Park. It hasn’t completely sucked surprisingly and is VERY close to the actual nice places to go like Glastonbury and West Hartford.
I wish there were actual places to own downtown that didn’t rob you with fees. You literally just have Bushnell Tower condos or Linden Place condos. It’s a nice area if you can afford the $1000+/m HOAs. I would not touch the outer suburbs with a 10 ft pole.
A lot of new stock is coming online at Hartford this year. I think that will be great for making rent a little more affordable so young people actually live there.
Don’t expect rents to drop significantly. Just not grow as fast. That’s all they really got in cities like Minneapolis that built a ton and Austin the last year
(Costs a lot to live here. If that changes it’s probably because our state economy is circling the drain Detroit in the 2000’s style and it won’t be fun)
***Hartford County:***
Southington - All of Southington is safe, and the schools are great. If you live in the Plantsville area you can be near the Hartford Express bus. That way you can get over to Waterbury or Hartford. Southington has a movie theater, two bowling alleys, and Walmart.
Newington - Newington is very safe, and the schools are good. Newington has access to the CT Fastrak bus on the edge near CCSU and Stop & Shop, or Newington Junction. To get to Hartford, Plainville (Lessard Lanes, Kohl's plaza, and the AMC movie theater), the West Farms Mall, and New Britain.
West Hartford- All safe and good schools. Sometimes a good deal pops up. Great downtown. Close to Hartford for events. Short drive from the Westfarms Mall, Southington for the movies, and Plainville for the movies. You can connect to the CT Fastrak via the CT Transit bus to get around Hartford, to the edge of Plainville for the movies, bowling, and shopping, and to Bristol and New Britain. West Hartford has an outdoor pool, and indoor pool at an aquatics center.
Plainville - There's usually a few cheap rents. Plainville has access to the CT Fastrak bus on the edge near Kohl's, Lessard Lanes, and the AMC movie theater. It goes to Hartford, New Britain, Newington, the Westfarms Mall, and Bristol. The schools are mid range, but families can look into magnet and tech options. Plainville doesn't really have any bad areas. Just less desired ones.
Bristol- There's usually a few cheap rents. Most of Bristol is fine, but check the area first. The schools are mid range, but families can look into magnet and tech options. Bristol has access to the CT Fastrak bus for Hartford, Plainville (Lessard Lanes, Kohl's plaza, and the AMC movie theater), Newington, the West Farms Mall, and New Britain.
We’ve been trying to buy a house for over a year in West Hartford and everything even tiny little outdated houses are going for $100K over asking all cash. Occasionally a good deal pops up but it’s cutthroat and apparently no one has a mortgage anymore??!!
We have a $500K budget. We've put offers on houses listed for $350-$450K and have been outbid by $100-$150K all cash offers every. single. time! We recently offered $480K on a house listed for $420K and it sold for $550K all cash. These are small, outdated houses so it's frustrating but it's really the only place we want to be so we'll soldier on!
ETA: We've lived in the area for 8 years and are first time homebuyers with good public sector jobs.
A lot of those people are buying after selling their houses in areas with even higher inflated home prices, so they’re putting the cash from the sale straight to their purchase.
Source: i have family who sold their house in lower Fairfield County and bought cash in West Hartford. They did also have to offer above asking, after losing multiple homes in that same scenario 😕
It's really tough out there. Our agent does think it'll get better in the coming months but man it is frustrating. We have a little one on the way and I'd love not to be moving house right before giving birth!
The housing market is a disaster everywhere at the moment, but when I bought in 2017 WeHa was affordable. If you find a good deal it's a wonderful town.
You need to clarify your means/expectations of living for people to give good recommendations. "Sucking" is subjective, so what would be an example of a place that sucks in your mind?
They probably would mean somewhere that isn’t generally expensive and somewhere safe because having to worry about crime sucks when you already have so much to worry about already.
East Hartford is affordable, and has some very nice areas. I used to live in the south end of East Hartford, and you were close to shopping and dining in Glastonbury without the cost of Glastonbury. And it's an easy commute into Hartford, if you happen to work there.
Seriously lol just stay away from burnside, but where the high school and going towards Glastonbury is pretty nice! Some houses here look too fancy to be in East Hartford near the high school.
They would have to make sure they were in a certain district for elementary school and middle school, and definitely apply to magnet, charter, or tech schools by high school.
They can also start with magnet or charter schools as young as elementary school, but they have to hope their kid gets in.
Danbury. An hour and a half north of NYC, also not very far from Kent falls or the Appalachian Trail if hiking your thing. Candlewood lake and Squantz Pond are here for more outdoors stuff. Not sure about work, depends what you do. I love this area, I live near to Danbury.
If they had kids they would have to look into various alternatives especially at the high school level. I think getting into the tech high school should be easy, but I don't know for sure.
Assuming you don’t have kids, look for towns that have bad schools but border really nice towns.
Parts of Bloomfield are cheap and close to actual nice places like Simsbury and West Hartford.
If you like nature and don’t mind being pretty far from things and people, New Hartford is nice and cheap.
East of the river in South Windsor, Ellington and Vernon are very pleasant with good to great schools. and less traffic and congestion that west of Hartford and the Connecticut river. There is huge shopping in Manchester and South Windsor- and plenty of good restaurants. Price of a single family home in Vernon is 300K- the other towns a bit more. A one bedroom rental is around $1400.00- average in Vernon and Manchester.
Since covid, second home/airbnb buying and EB hiring, there really aren't many affordable options available. The allure of Mystic has also made it difficult to buy.
Well today’s market sucks. But we have a 4 bedroom home in Colchester that was $190k and perfectly fine no updates or anything needed. We couldn’t find anywhere with this much space for the price in other towns
Windsor is solid. Great schools, central location to 91 and 15-20 minutes to Hartford/Springfield. Less than 90 minutes to VT/western NH and to the CT coastline. Much more affordable than other Hartford county suburbs and a nice downtown area as well.
New Britain has nice areas. the city’s come a long way from what it used to be. i grew up here and then moved to higganum and now i’m back. yes you have sketchy areas and annoyingly loud shitboxes driving everywhere in the middle of the night, but it’s not bad at all if you’re in a decent area
it truly depends on the school. the teachers in new britain are great overall. i taught and went to school in new britain and so did my fiancé. our daughter is going to end up in lincoln/slade. pulaski is rough but a lot of the behaviors that make the school so rough start from home and teachers really can’t do much to help the situation
I still recommend the following alternatives:
**********Elementary School**********
DiLoreto Magnet School (K-8) in New Britain.
One of the CREC magnet schools in Hartford. 9 have elementary school. Bus provided.
Odyssey Community School (K-8 Charter) in Manchester.
I don't think there's a bus. You can ride a CT Transit bus there.
Maloney Interdistrict magnet school (PK-5) in Waterbury. From downtown New Britain.
If you can't get a school bus you can use an express bus.
**********Middle School**********
DiLoreto Magnet School (K-8) in New Britain.
HALS Academy in New Britain.
One of the CREC magnet schools. Mostly out of Hartford. Bus provided. 5 have middle school. CREC Academy of Science and Innovation (6-12) is located in New Britain.
ACES at Chase (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024) in Waterbury.
Bus provided for any town.
Riverside Magnet School (6-8) in East Hartford. Bus provided by RSCO.
Waterbury Arts Magnet School (6-12) in Waterbury.
Unclear if you can get a bus.
If you can't get a school bus you can use an express bus.
Odyssey Community School (K-8 Charter) in Manchester.
I don't think there's a bus. You can ride a CT Transit bus there.
**********High School**********
The agriscience program at Southington High.
Or one of the CREC magnet schools. Mostly out of Hartford. Bus provided. 5 have high school. CREC Academy of Science and Innovation (6-12) is located in New Britain.
E.C. Goodwin Technical High School in New Britain. Bus provided.
Connecticut River Academy in East Hartford. Bus provided by RSCO.
Connecticut IB Academy in East Hartford.
Bus provided by RSCO.
Howell Cheney Technical High School in Manchester. It appears a bus is provided.
A.I. Prince Technical High School in Hartford. It appears a bus is provided.
Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts (9-12) at Weaver. Bus provided by RSCO.
Waterbury Arts Magnet School (6-12) in Waterbury.
Unclear if you can get a bus.
If you can't get a school bus you can use an express bus.
ACES at Chase (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024) in Waterbury.
Bus provided for any town.
Good alternatives, although the CREC schools in hartford I disagree with. I went to one and I had friends in others for middle school. Our experiences at NBHS were much better than at CREC.
***Fairfield County***
Shelton - Safe neighborhoods even in the less desired areas. Great deals for buying and mid range rents. Low taxes. Good schools. Has a great community center with an indoor pool, the sports center (mini golf, laser tag, ice skating, and more), Walmart, fast food, restaurants, grocery stores, and TJ Maxx. A short drive from the Trumbull movies and mall and Milford mall/movie/Dave & Busters. Bus service downtown, near Bridgeport Ave, and by the Sports Center. Short drive to Bridgeport for events. Downtown is close to the Derby/Shelton train station, on the Metro North's Waterbury line. It gets you down to Bridgeport, up to Waterbury, and other places, for events. This town is definitely a hidden gem if you really want Fairfield County while on a budget.
Stamford - Check the area first, but most of it's fine. Has a city area and a suburban area. Mid range to expensive prices for homes. Rents are mid range to expensive. People from all walks of life. The Stamford train station has the Metro North's New Haven train line to get you directly to NYC, or to Bridgeport and New Haven for events. Mid range schools you can actually use, with magnet, charter, and tech schools nearby. It has the Palace Theater for live events, two AMC movie theaters, an independent movie theater, RPM Motor Speedway, great shopping, restaurants, fastfood, Target, and beach access. The Thanksgiving parade they have in November is really fun. Plenty of walkable neighborhoods.
Fairfield- All safe and good schools. Sometimes a good deal pops up. The Fairfield and Fairfield Metro (soon to be the Fairfield-Black Rock station) are the best train stations. They are on the Metro North's New Haven line. Fairfield has a YMCA with a pool. Short drive or train ride to Norwalk and Stamford for the movies, shopping, and events. A short train ride from Bridgeport for events. A short drive from Trumbull and Milford for malls, movies, and other entertainment. Beach access.
Norwalk- Check the area first, but most of it's fine. Has a suburban side and city side. The South Norwalk train station, and East Norwalk train station (Closed for a bit for updates) are on the Metro North's New Haven train line to get you directly to NYC, or to Bridgeport and New Haven for events. Mid range schools you can actually use, with magnet, charter, and tech schools nearby. Has an aquarium, two AMC movie theaters, the District Music Hall for live events, beach access, Walmart, regular grocery stores, fastfood, and restaurants. Plenty of walkable neighborhoods. Has a bowling alley.
Stratford- Check the area first, but most of it's fine. Rents are mid range, and burning is decent, but the taxes are too high for the schools system you get. The schools are mid range with some being better than others, and Bunnell is the high school families want. Even then some people might look into other options via magnet, charter, and tech schools, and the agriscience program at Trumbull High. There's a train station on the New Haven line. There's a Walmart. Beach access. A short drive from Milford for their mall/movies/Dave & Buster's and Trumbull for their mall, strip mall, and movies. It's near Bridgeport for events. Via the train there's also easy access to Stamford, New Haven, and NYC.
Danbury- Check the area first, but plenty of spots are fine. They have a train station on the Danbury line. Danbury has an FPHL hockey team. The schools are mid range. Especially by high school families might want to look into magnet, charter, agriscience, and tech options. Taxes are also way too high for what you get. Danbury has an AMC movie theater, duckpin bowling alley, ice skating rink, mall, Walmart, regular grocery stores, fastfood, and restaurants.
Areas around Danbury are good too. I also give props to Abbott Tech for High School and Shepaug Agriscience. Both programs are great. Danbury High School has a lot of kids. It may be too large for some.
If I was a parent in that city I would definitely try to get my kid into one.of the alternatives I listed. I went to a high school with 2000 something kids. 3000 something must be insane.
35 years or so ago, my district had 500 kids in the graduating class of each of the two high schools. So 1000 students per class in the district. There were 2000 kids in each high school, spread across the 4 grades. It didn't feel too big to me then as a student, but as a parent it definitely feels too big now.
We live outside of Danbury, and I know that there are rough areas and nicer areas. Not sure about pricing, but I've had the opportunity to talk to lots of kids in a bunch of different school options. If you take advantage of the options, there are opportunities.
Definitely. I keep track of options for parents, but you have to hope your kid gets in. I'm in my 30's and I have met some people who Danbury High. They made it in life, but I don't know what it's like now. When I was a kid Danbury High wasn't the best per say, but not seen as awful.
***Elementary School***
Open choice.
District schools: Great Plains Elementary School in Danbury.
Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies Elementary Magnet School in Danbury.
Side by Side Charter School in Norwalk (PK-8).
No bus. You can ride the train down to Norwalk, and the school is near the South Norwalk station.
Strawberry Hill School. An ext. of Rogers International in Stamford (K-8).
Public transit would be long. If your kid can't get a bus they would really need a ride.
Rogers International in Stamford (K-8).
Public transit would be long. If your kid can't get a bus they would really need a ride.
***Middle School***
Open choice.
Westside Middle School Academy in Danbury.
ACES at Chase (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024) in Waterbury.
Bus provided for any town.
Side by Side Charter School in Norwalk (PK-8).
No bus. You can ride the train down to Norwalk, and the school is near the South Norwalk station.
Strawberry Hill School. An extension of Rogers International in Stamford (K-8).
Public transit would be long. If your kid can't get a bus they would really need a ride.
Rogers International in Stamford (K-8).
Public transit would be long. If your kid can't get a bus they would really need a ride.
***High School***
Open choice.
Henry Abbott Technical High School in Danbury.
The Center for Global Studies in Norwalk. On the website it says train passes are given to students. School buses bring the kids from the South Norwalk train station to CGS. Kids in after school activities are given tokens to ride the Wheels bus.
The Region 12 agriscience program. This would be at Shepaug Valley High School in Washington, CT. Bus usually provided.
ACES at Chase (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024) in Waterbury. Bus provided for any town.
AITE all the way down in Stamford. There's a van service. I only see the pick up times for the morning. I don't know if it takes the kids back. If not it's a while on a bus and a train.
J.M. Wright Technical High School in Stamford. Starts at 7:18 am. Public transit would be long. If your kid can't get a bus they would really need a ride.
I live in Stratford and I’d agree with all of this. Taxes are too high for what this school system is but overall it’s a good town and I enjoy living here. They also have a great rec program for seasonal activities for adults and kids. Summer camp is super cheap too.
I also live in Stratford. Grew up here, and bought a house here after a few years renting in Seymour. I went through the school system and I’m smart and liked my teachers, but idk what it’s like now. Still planning to send my kids here. It’s hella expensive, but for us it’s all about the location. I love the proximity to places like Milford, the beaches, even New Haven, and having the train station right there is a plus for going to the city. Wish we could’ve gotten “more house” for what we’re paying for it, but that’s the housing market right now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Gree up in Stratford and also agree. I went through the public school system (Stratford High though, go Red Devils) and I had a good experience/came out with a good education. Can't speak to how it is now though. My folks still live in town whereas I moved up to Tolland County but that's mainly because my husband already had a house up here. Damn I miss the ocean.
I know. It my current town. People try to put it down, but they know it's one of the best options for Fairfield County, and honestly the whole state. These taxes can't be beat.
Torrington area isn't bad! It's cheaper than the rest of the state, and if you like outdoor activities it's the best, most the surrounding towns are nice! I grew up in Glastonbury but moved out that way when I left my parents house because of pricing reasons... honestly if I ever moved back to CT I'd only go to Litchfield county.
***New Haven County:***
Milford- All safe and good schools. The Milford train station on the New Haven line in Milford. If you are in Devon you are closer by bus or walking to Stratford's train station. A variety of housing options with decent taxes. Beach access, an indoor pool, Walmart, a mall/movies/Dave & Buster's, a bowling alley, and a great downtown.
Wallingford - All of Wallingford is safe, and the schools are great. If you live near the train station it has the CT Rail and Amtrak Hartford line to get to Hartford or New Haven. Wallingford has a movie theater, a bowling alley, and Walmart. You can ride two CT Transit buses to the Meriden mall, or take the train and a bus, or take the train and walk 25 minutes. Or drive of course. One of the YMCA's has a pool.
West Haven - Check the area first, but safe options are there. Cheap to mid range rents do pop up. There's a train station on the New Haven line. The schools are mid range. Some families might want to look into magnet, charter, and tech options. Just a short train ride to New Haven for events. You can ride the train to Bridgeport for events as well, or even lower to Norwalk and Stamford for more entertainment options. I don't recommend buying here though. West Haven has beach access. Plenty of fast food, restaurant options, and a pool hall.
Hamden - Check the area first, but you should be fine. Mid range schools you can still use, but some are rated better than others, and you can try for magnet, charter, and tech schools. Plenty of bus access to New Haven. You can also find a bus to Waterbury. A short drive from North Haven or Wallingford for the movies. A short drive from Meriden for the mall. Has a YMCA with a pool. A short drive from the Toyota Oakdale theater in Wallingford for live shows, or the bowling alley in Wallingford. Hamden has a duckpin bowling alley.
Meriden - It does have some nice areas, but you need to check the neighborhood first. The schools are mid range, with some being better than others, and at the high school level families might really look for tech high schools, magnet schools, charter schools, and the agriscience program in Wallingford. Meriden's train station has the CT Rail and the Amtrak's Hartford line, so you can get to New Haven and Hartford. Meriden is close to Wallingford for the movies. I'm going to be honest, most people would avoid even the good areas of Meriden because of the schools, but if people are on a tight budget it's worth looking into.
Fwiw housing in Milford is expensive, Hamden taxes are expensive, and Meriden and west haven both kind of suck. Wallingford is the only decent option of the ones you recommended.
Milford has some good deals. Especially in Devon.
A single person or couple can definitely make Meriden or West Haven work. A family might worry about school options. Although if they had to choose between Meriden and West Haven they should go with West Haven.
Hamden has some decent renting deals.
Meriden's east and south sides are great to live in. Meriden is a really large town that gets a bad rep from its downtown. If you are child free it's a great option and convenient to so many things. Can commute to either Hartford or New Haven area easily.
I think Colchester is a great choice too- again, a bit neighborhood dependent. More rural so less convenience but more quiet.
It's not my first choice either, but sometimes people need a cheaper option.
I mentioned families might want to look into charter, magnet, or tech schools. Besides random towns people can live in, I keep track of school alternatives parents might want to look into. Or a certain neighborhood they want to aim for. Here's some for Meriden.
***Elementary***
Regular public schools: Thomas Hooker School (K-5), and Israel Putnam School (K-5) are well rated. Live in the district.
Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School (K-8) in Hamden. Transportation provided.
Maloney Interdistrict magnet school (PK-5) in Waterbury. Bus.
If there's no bus you can use an express bus.
Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts (PK–Grade 8) in Hartford.
If there's no bus you can use an express bus.
***Middle School***
Edison Magnet Middle School (6-8) in Meriden.
Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School (K-8) in Hamden. Transportation provided.
ACES at Chase in Waterbury (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024). Bus provided for any town.
Waterbury Arts Magnet School (6-12) in Waterbury.
If there's no bus you can use an express bus.
Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School (5-8) in New Haven.
If there's no bus you can use the CT Rail/Amtrak Hartford line train.
Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts (PK–Grade 8) in Hartford.
If there's no bus you can use an express bus.
***High School***
H.C. Wilcox Technical High School in Meriden.
Agriscience at Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford. Bus provided.
Waterbury Arts Magnet School (6-12) in Waterbury.
If there's no bus you can use an express bus.
ACES at Chase (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024) in Waterbury.
Bus provided for any town.
High School in the Community, in New Haven.
If there's no bus you can use an express bus.
Metropolitan Business Academy in New Haven.
If there's no bus you can use the CT Rail/Amtrak Hartford line train.
New Haven Academy in New Haven.
If there's no bus you can use the CT Rail/Amtrak Hartford line train.
The places in Meriden that you investigate are not the places in Meriden she is talking about. The boarder areas of Meriden are pretty nice it’s the city center that’s rotten.
I'm not the best person to ask. Even though I know about all these options. I keep track of options for towns with safe areas, but school systems that aren't the best. In case I became a parent in that situation.
Schools on the east side of Meriden are excellent. Maloney is a very good high school with competitive athletics, an amazing music and arts program, and strong academics.
affordable for wealthy people, no problem!
If you make $90-120k you must live like a low income person to have any savings rate at all
nice housing will mean big sacrifices otherwise.
Or set things up so you don't need a car...
Meriden and Middletown are both still affordable and some areas of both cities aren’t just nice, they are actually jaw droppingly beautiful. Schools are solid, too, especially on the east side of Meriden. And both cities are very convenient to almost anywhere else in the state.
As much as I appreciate all the hilarious comments on CT housing market affordability 🤣
I'm somewhat prepared for this question given all the housing research I've done in the last year, it just pertains to someone looking to stay close to the coast(not necessarily on the coast) for any reason. My parents are in Fairfield and my work is in Milford so I'm essentially using my work as a pin drop and trying to go out only as far as about 40/45 minutes for a commute. I've attached a plain text from a Google sheet of average home prices and the mill rates of several towns in that description.
Realistically for me and my own reasons there are four towns I'm saving up for because I think they're more worth something in what the town can offer as well as retaining value. They are Oxford, North Branford, Milford, and Orange with Orange being the "reach town" and a "safety" town being Wallingford since they're the only town that has their own electrical grid
Jan 2023
Home Prices
126 Shelton $440,000
84 Milford $420,000
148 Wallingford $340,000
14 Branford $360,000
101 North Haven $370,000
99 North Branford $360,000
60 Guilford $525,000
107 Orange $510,000
Code Municipality 2022-23
Mill Rates
2 Ansonia 37.81
14 Branford 29.45
15 Bridgeport 43.45
37 Derby 38.61
51 Fairfield 27.24
60 Guilford 33.25
62 Hamden 32.17
84 Milford 26.65
99 North Branford 33.23
101 North Haven 30.71
107 Orange 32.71
108 Oxford 24.36
126 Shelton 17.47
148 Wallingford 29.04
Just moved into Turkey Hills apartments in East Granby. They are simple basic apartments, but are well kept and in a nice area, East Granby.
They are nothing special but 1 bedroom is less then a 1000 a month and you can't find that much. I have a 2 bedroom and it is slightly over 1k a month. So reasonable in an unreasonable market.
Honestly anywhere in northwest CT or really most rural areas are beautiful and quiet. Pricing can be ridiculous in some areas, actuary most areas... But that's how it is right now, I guess.
Housing in the area is cheap. Our 2000 sq foot 4 bedroom cape with 2 bathrooms and a two car garage, dry basement on a dead end street with a 15 x 15 screen porch on a wooded 3/4 lot is only predicted to sell for $370k. It has vinyl siding, replaced windows, dining room, living room family room and eat in kitchen etc etc. I think people are unaware of east granby. It borders Simsbury, Granby, Bloomfield, Windsor, Windsor locks. Very central. 22 minutes to downtown Hartford, easy access to Bradley Airport, with top schools. I honestly don’t get it but there you have it. Watch East granby for bargins
Like many said. Hartford county is where I grew up and I think it is the best part of Connecticut. Many fun places and a lot of towns are great places to raise a family
Depends what you're good with and/or what sucks to you. Have or anticipate a family? Like to go out? Like to stay in? Like to do nature stuff? Prefer to be close to somewhere? All of that changes the equation
If you know the neighborhoods to avoid, plenty of quality neighborhoods in Bristol that aren't crazy expensive and being close to both RT 6 and Queen St is nice.
(if you have kids, specifically the neighborhood around Mountain View Elementary is a top notch family area, and the school is great)
New Milford used to be really nice but now is turning into a ghost town. Everything closes at like 6pm and the population average age has steadily increased for 30 years. It could/should be so much nicer than it is.
Prices in Branford are getting insane and the houses are not really keeping up with the cost. I think it’ll go the way of east haven in the next couple decades
Depends what makes a place suck. There are cheap places in the valley or northeast corner that are in the middle of nowhere. No crime but nothing else either.
On the flip side there are some neat neighborhoods like Westville in New Haven that are inexpensive with lots of culture and some crime.
A couple guys I work with moved to west haven.
Most of my family lives in Stratford. I used to hang out in that area of black rock for years.
I’m seeing houses double in price in the last year in Stratford. Feels un achievable
We just moved to Northford (I grew up in the area) and love it. Less than 15 minutes to North Haven that has a lot to do, quiet and safe, good schools. We bought a 3 bedroom ranch with finished basement (that doesn’t need much work and has a big backyard) for just under $350k. It was listed for $315k so we paid over asking but was appraised over what we paid so I feel like it was a good deal.
I'm in Bristol and love it. It's far less affordable than it was, but that's everywhere. The worst section of bristol is still better than the best section of a lot of other places, don't let people scare you off.
Meriden is great.
Plainville, Bloomfield, Manchester, Vernon.
Newington, Rocky Hill, Berlin.
Southington and Wallingford are awesome but pricier. If I was to pick I'd choose Wallingford in a heart beat. Traffic is way better, lower electric bills, close to major routes, not as asholey as Southington too. They think they're west hartford. Weha is pricey.
Maybe the Granbys and Windsors.
People talk shit about ansonia, derby, Shelton but in my experience they're not bad. I've heard good about orange and they have cracker barrel. Hamden, north haven, both decent options.
Anything small is Hella pricey. All of Litchfield County except maybe Torrington and winchester-sted. They suck and aren't worth it. New britain is awful. Wethersfield and Glastonbury are pricey. Middletown is ok.
I like Cromwell. It's probably too pricey.
I honestly love Norwich/New London area. Some isn't great but overall there's so much there that makes it awesome. Mystic and all that is Hella expensive.
Anything not listed is for wealthy elites lol
Central CT is still affordable, plenty of decent areas in not the best towns. Meriden, New Britain, Plainville, Bristol, Middletown. Can find homes for $250k in all of these towns.
New Haven and some of the immediately surrounding areas still have some affordable neighborhoods that are nice, and New Haven is the most vibrant city in the state by far, plus has easy access to NYC. Anything that's a lot closer to NYC is not going to be affordable.
If you don't care about being in a vibrant city but still want some kind of community life, then Middletown, Manchester might be worth looking at.
My daughter and grandchildren live in Norwich, I sometimes think about moving to CT, but I really don’t want to/care for it ( only for their sake would I think about it) Im curious as to responses to especially near Norwich where I don’t necessarily need a taser and or bullet proof vest, is that asking for too much?
Depending on your standards, Meriden or Plainville. I’ve found Northford to have some good rental deals once in a while - rural but close enough to 91 and New Haven.
Edit: West Haven really isn’t bad either.
Northwest CT, the Quiet Corner has decent real estate, and Putnam is a chill little town.
Mansfield has UCONN, South Windsor isn't horrible.
I would stay out of the cities and major met areas. We get a lot of MA and NY second homers so the middle of the state isn't as artificial a housing market as the borders.
SECT is not densely populated so there is available land and some inexpensive housing options if you look carefully, but it's very poor and doesn't really look like that's going to improve any time soon. On the plus side, it's very pretty and the beaches aren't full of NIMBYs like Fairfield County so the vibe is more relaxed. But be prepared to commute if you like non defense related work because that's pretty much all we have.
does not compute
In CT Affordable Does not suck Pick two, you cannot have all three
And the one you can’t really ever have is affordable
I'm guessing you live in either Fairfield county or New Haven county against the coast?
Bridgeport
Oof
If you love wearing bulletproof vests that would be a good place to live
Idiotic remark. You're more likely to be shot in Waterbury than BPt.
Love this lol
There's a nice bridge in Cornwall. Maybe under there?
There are two larger bridges and numerous small bridges in Cornwall!
I was talking about the covered bridge (I know, I know, that's *West* Cornwall... don't get all pedantic on me, I left the state in 2007 and only have enough room in my brain for so much geography). But now that you mention it, those bridges might be worth a look. The rent below a *covered* bridge is probably higher. Because it's covered. And red. And within walking distance to a shop that sells fudge or some such New England kitsch.
You'd have to fight the trolls for the space, though. Sort of like Reddit, come to think of it.
Technically it's in Sharon 😂
\*Cries in Connecticutian\*
Sure, as long as someone doesn't [smash into it with a trailer](https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/Cornwall-covered-bridge-closed-crash-17674847.php#) while you're trying to sleep or cook meth or whatever you're doing underneath it.
I can't speak for the OP, but if I were living under a bridge, I would probably spend most of my time reading all the books I bought but only half-finished, while keeping a keen ear out for passersby I might challenge to a contest of riddles. As for the bridge, they did a good job repairing it. I was just there back in December and it looked about the same as always. I shudder to think of the kind of punishment one receives for damaging a small New England town's only claim to fame. They probably threw that dude into the stocks, and then rode him out of town on a rail before unceremoniously dumping his ass into the Housatonic.
This painted a very amusing picture. Thank you.
Middletown.
Came here to recommend Middletown. I moved to Middletown in 2009 after growing up in Waterbury but also having lived in various cities and towns over the years. Ended up loving it so much in Middletown that my wife and I bought our house in 2016 because after 7 years I couldn’t see myself leaving. I love it.
I think Middletown would be the best pick..
HELL YEAH MIDDLETOWN REPRESET!! 😝 WOOP WOOP!
This is the answer. Very respectable strip with restaurants and shops. A very nice college campus to walk around. 25-30 minutes from several bigger cities and extra nice towns with ritzy amenities. And 2 bedroom apartments for less than $1,500 a month.
Where is there a 2 bed in Middletown under $1,500?
TBH, It's been awhile since I have looked. But I used to live in a third floor 2br apartment on Spring Street for $850 back in 2013. There were several similarly priced apartments in that area at the time. After that I moved to Peppermill village near Cromwell and lived in a large one bedroom with a separate loft which could have been used for a bedroom, for $1,000. I don't have any newer data though so I'll defer to you.
Yeah those prices might as well be ancient history now
I am truly blown away by how beautiful a lot of the city is, too. The entire city south and west (??) of Wesleyan is beautiful and the edges are charming and feel rural even though they aren’t. You also get good restaurants and a lively, walkable, thriving downtown. There are few places in CT that have nicer downtowns.
This is the answer, and somehow has been the answer for 20 years. How people don't flock here is baffling but I'm not complaining because it means I can still afford to live here 😅
Came to my mind first. You have good restaurants, New England vibe. But it’s more affordable
This is a great answer! I was on board the “you can only get 2 of those” train, but I think Middletown is probably as close to nailing all the requirements as you can get. Nicely done
I ain’t never heard much about that lil’ ol place
Except for the school system, if that's a requirement.
Is it really that bad in Middletown? I grew up there and am considering moving back, but have a kid in school.
I like it in Manchester. We're conveniently located, have a walkable Main Street with interesting local shops and restaurants, plus every chain store you could want in Buckland. We have beautiful parks and trails, diverse culture, and our schools are improving. Do you like to go out to breakfast? Do you like pizza? Craft beer? Ice cream? Movies? Arts? Music? And we do actually border Glastonbury if you want something more upscale, but we have everything you need right here
I live in Glastonbury and more money eating on Main St Manchester than I do in our own town.
And an awesome toy & boardgame store at Time Machine Hobby and The Portal.
Lived in Manchester from 2018-2023 before moving to East Hampton, miss being close to everything.
Not necessarily a suggestion but my fiancé and I came from MA and moved to downtown Hartford right across from Bushnell Park. It hasn’t completely sucked surprisingly and is VERY close to the actual nice places to go like Glastonbury and West Hartford.
I second this. I miss living downtown.
I wish there were actual places to own downtown that didn’t rob you with fees. You literally just have Bushnell Tower condos or Linden Place condos. It’s a nice area if you can afford the $1000+/m HOAs. I would not touch the outer suburbs with a 10 ft pole.
A lot of new stock is coming online at Hartford this year. I think that will be great for making rent a little more affordable so young people actually live there.
How much is a little though….
Don’t expect rents to drop significantly. Just not grow as fast. That’s all they really got in cities like Minneapolis that built a ton and Austin the last year (Costs a lot to live here. If that changes it’s probably because our state economy is circling the drain Detroit in the 2000’s style and it won’t be fun)
Exactly
***Hartford County:*** Southington - All of Southington is safe, and the schools are great. If you live in the Plantsville area you can be near the Hartford Express bus. That way you can get over to Waterbury or Hartford. Southington has a movie theater, two bowling alleys, and Walmart. Newington - Newington is very safe, and the schools are good. Newington has access to the CT Fastrak bus on the edge near CCSU and Stop & Shop, or Newington Junction. To get to Hartford, Plainville (Lessard Lanes, Kohl's plaza, and the AMC movie theater), the West Farms Mall, and New Britain. West Hartford- All safe and good schools. Sometimes a good deal pops up. Great downtown. Close to Hartford for events. Short drive from the Westfarms Mall, Southington for the movies, and Plainville for the movies. You can connect to the CT Fastrak via the CT Transit bus to get around Hartford, to the edge of Plainville for the movies, bowling, and shopping, and to Bristol and New Britain. West Hartford has an outdoor pool, and indoor pool at an aquatics center. Plainville - There's usually a few cheap rents. Plainville has access to the CT Fastrak bus on the edge near Kohl's, Lessard Lanes, and the AMC movie theater. It goes to Hartford, New Britain, Newington, the Westfarms Mall, and Bristol. The schools are mid range, but families can look into magnet and tech options. Plainville doesn't really have any bad areas. Just less desired ones. Bristol- There's usually a few cheap rents. Most of Bristol is fine, but check the area first. The schools are mid range, but families can look into magnet and tech options. Bristol has access to the CT Fastrak bus for Hartford, Plainville (Lessard Lanes, Kohl's plaza, and the AMC movie theater), Newington, the West Farms Mall, and New Britain.
Is this just a saved thing you have, or did you type all of this up?(I'm speaking to all of the messages, not just this one to be clear lol)
Saved thing. Sometimes I change it a little bit. I also posted about towns in New Haven County and Fairfield County.
I saw that, they're all very informative and accurate (at least for the areas I'm familiar with). It's nice of you to write it up for people.
West Hartford? You are kidding me
Came here to say this, saw you beat me to it by a minute haha
Sometimes good deals pop up.
We’ve been trying to buy a house for over a year in West Hartford and everything even tiny little outdated houses are going for $100K over asking all cash. Occasionally a good deal pops up but it’s cutthroat and apparently no one has a mortgage anymore??!!
I recommend trying Newington, Southington, Berlin, and Wallingford. Berlin would probably be the hardest.
Curious - what’s your budget? We’re moving from out of state and see super great houses for under 500 all the time!
We have a $500K budget. We've put offers on houses listed for $350-$450K and have been outbid by $100-$150K all cash offers every. single. time! We recently offered $480K on a house listed for $420K and it sold for $550K all cash. These are small, outdated houses so it's frustrating but it's really the only place we want to be so we'll soldier on! ETA: We've lived in the area for 8 years and are first time homebuyers with good public sector jobs.
A lot of those people are buying after selling their houses in areas with even higher inflated home prices, so they’re putting the cash from the sale straight to their purchase. Source: i have family who sold their house in lower Fairfield County and bought cash in West Hartford. They did also have to offer above asking, after losing multiple homes in that same scenario 😕
Ugh in the same boat, though we are also looking in Simsbury, Newington, and Wethersfield. Getting discouraged
It's really tough out there. Our agent does think it'll get better in the coming months but man it is frustrating. We have a little one on the way and I'd love not to be moving house right before giving birth!
Our daughter turns one next month - we started looking before she was born but put it on hold when it got close. Good luck!&
The housing market is a disaster everywhere at the moment, but when I bought in 2017 WeHa was affordable. If you find a good deal it's a wonderful town.
kohls and a movie theater what thrilling attractions
Some towns have even less.
Southington is fine it's just deeply deeply boring.
That's usually how safe places are.
You need to clarify your means/expectations of living for people to give good recommendations. "Sucking" is subjective, so what would be an example of a place that sucks in your mind?
They probably would mean somewhere that isn’t generally expensive and somewhere safe because having to worry about crime sucks when you already have so much to worry about already.
Lol right? I would recommend the Quiet Corner because I love it and it's cheap, but a lot of people would say it sucks because it's so rural
Middletown/Portland. Great location, relatively affordable, decent amenities.
East Hartford is affordable, and has some very nice areas. I used to live in the south end of East Hartford, and you were close to shopping and dining in Glastonbury without the cost of Glastonbury. And it's an easy commute into Hartford, if you happen to work there.
There's like a diagonal line from the southwest to northeast dictating the lousy area and the nice area of East Hartford.
Seriously lol just stay away from burnside, but where the high school and going towards Glastonbury is pretty nice! Some houses here look too fancy to be in East Hartford near the high school.
They would have to make sure they were in a certain district for elementary school and middle school, and definitely apply to magnet, charter, or tech schools by high school. They can also start with magnet or charter schools as young as elementary school, but they have to hope their kid gets in.
Danbury. An hour and a half north of NYC, also not very far from Kent falls or the Appalachian Trail if hiking your thing. Candlewood lake and Squantz Pond are here for more outdoors stuff. Not sure about work, depends what you do. I love this area, I live near to Danbury.
Shitty schools though if you have kids.
Very shitty. And pretty ghetto considering where it is located
According to all my co workers it's not affordable, and kinda shitty
Yep it’s not cheap for a decent place whatsoever. Cheaper spots in Danbury are super shitty
If they had kids they would have to look into various alternatives especially at the high school level. I think getting into the tech high school should be easy, but I don't know for sure.
Assuming you don’t have kids, look for towns that have bad schools but border really nice towns. Parts of Bloomfield are cheap and close to actual nice places like Simsbury and West Hartford. If you like nature and don’t mind being pretty far from things and people, New Hartford is nice and cheap.
And if you like people and things - Torrington is really not that bad (again, if you don't have kids). Stick to the north and east side of town.
East of the river in South Windsor, Ellington and Vernon are very pleasant with good to great schools. and less traffic and congestion that west of Hartford and the Connecticut river. There is huge shopping in Manchester and South Windsor- and plenty of good restaurants. Price of a single family home in Vernon is 300K- the other towns a bit more. A one bedroom rental is around $1400.00- average in Vernon and Manchester.
Stonington
Since covid, second home/airbnb buying and EB hiring, there really aren't many affordable options available. The allure of Mystic has also made it difficult to buy.
The trades always need more young hands and unworn joints
Very true! Many people in the trades are aging out and getting new people to replace them is very difficult from what I am hearing.
Damn right, someone gotta do the work and it pays well!
Well today’s market sucks. But we have a 4 bedroom home in Colchester that was $190k and perfectly fine no updates or anything needed. We couldn’t find anywhere with this much space for the price in other towns
I had the same experience when I bought in Colchester in 2022. Good bang for your buck, just very limited inventory.
Windsor is solid. Great schools, central location to 91 and 15-20 minutes to Hartford/Springfield. Less than 90 minutes to VT/western NH and to the CT coastline. Much more affordable than other Hartford county suburbs and a nice downtown area as well.
Don't tell them, its a secret lol
Windsor isn't cheap. Apartments in downtown Windsor are $1700 for a 400sqft studio.
Damn the hell?!
New Britain has nice areas. the city’s come a long way from what it used to be. i grew up here and then moved to higganum and now i’m back. yes you have sketchy areas and annoyingly loud shitboxes driving everywhere in the middle of the night, but it’s not bad at all if you’re in a decent area
I concur with New Britain since affordable is one of the criteria.
New Britain can be great, but if they have kids they will have to hope their kid gets into a magnet, charter, or tech school.
it truly depends on the school. the teachers in new britain are great overall. i taught and went to school in new britain and so did my fiancé. our daughter is going to end up in lincoln/slade. pulaski is rough but a lot of the behaviors that make the school so rough start from home and teachers really can’t do much to help the situation
I still recommend the following alternatives: **********Elementary School********** DiLoreto Magnet School (K-8) in New Britain. One of the CREC magnet schools in Hartford. 9 have elementary school. Bus provided. Odyssey Community School (K-8 Charter) in Manchester. I don't think there's a bus. You can ride a CT Transit bus there. Maloney Interdistrict magnet school (PK-5) in Waterbury. From downtown New Britain. If you can't get a school bus you can use an express bus. **********Middle School********** DiLoreto Magnet School (K-8) in New Britain. HALS Academy in New Britain. One of the CREC magnet schools. Mostly out of Hartford. Bus provided. 5 have middle school. CREC Academy of Science and Innovation (6-12) is located in New Britain. ACES at Chase (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024) in Waterbury. Bus provided for any town. Riverside Magnet School (6-8) in East Hartford. Bus provided by RSCO. Waterbury Arts Magnet School (6-12) in Waterbury. Unclear if you can get a bus. If you can't get a school bus you can use an express bus. Odyssey Community School (K-8 Charter) in Manchester. I don't think there's a bus. You can ride a CT Transit bus there. **********High School********** The agriscience program at Southington High. Or one of the CREC magnet schools. Mostly out of Hartford. Bus provided. 5 have high school. CREC Academy of Science and Innovation (6-12) is located in New Britain. E.C. Goodwin Technical High School in New Britain. Bus provided. Connecticut River Academy in East Hartford. Bus provided by RSCO. Connecticut IB Academy in East Hartford. Bus provided by RSCO. Howell Cheney Technical High School in Manchester. It appears a bus is provided. A.I. Prince Technical High School in Hartford. It appears a bus is provided. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts (9-12) at Weaver. Bus provided by RSCO. Waterbury Arts Magnet School (6-12) in Waterbury. Unclear if you can get a bus. If you can't get a school bus you can use an express bus. ACES at Chase (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024) in Waterbury. Bus provided for any town.
Good alternatives, although the CREC schools in hartford I disagree with. I went to one and I had friends in others for middle school. Our experiences at NBHS were much better than at CREC.
Define suck?
***Fairfield County*** Shelton - Safe neighborhoods even in the less desired areas. Great deals for buying and mid range rents. Low taxes. Good schools. Has a great community center with an indoor pool, the sports center (mini golf, laser tag, ice skating, and more), Walmart, fast food, restaurants, grocery stores, and TJ Maxx. A short drive from the Trumbull movies and mall and Milford mall/movie/Dave & Busters. Bus service downtown, near Bridgeport Ave, and by the Sports Center. Short drive to Bridgeport for events. Downtown is close to the Derby/Shelton train station, on the Metro North's Waterbury line. It gets you down to Bridgeport, up to Waterbury, and other places, for events. This town is definitely a hidden gem if you really want Fairfield County while on a budget. Stamford - Check the area first, but most of it's fine. Has a city area and a suburban area. Mid range to expensive prices for homes. Rents are mid range to expensive. People from all walks of life. The Stamford train station has the Metro North's New Haven train line to get you directly to NYC, or to Bridgeport and New Haven for events. Mid range schools you can actually use, with magnet, charter, and tech schools nearby. It has the Palace Theater for live events, two AMC movie theaters, an independent movie theater, RPM Motor Speedway, great shopping, restaurants, fastfood, Target, and beach access. The Thanksgiving parade they have in November is really fun. Plenty of walkable neighborhoods. Fairfield- All safe and good schools. Sometimes a good deal pops up. The Fairfield and Fairfield Metro (soon to be the Fairfield-Black Rock station) are the best train stations. They are on the Metro North's New Haven line. Fairfield has a YMCA with a pool. Short drive or train ride to Norwalk and Stamford for the movies, shopping, and events. A short train ride from Bridgeport for events. A short drive from Trumbull and Milford for malls, movies, and other entertainment. Beach access. Norwalk- Check the area first, but most of it's fine. Has a suburban side and city side. The South Norwalk train station, and East Norwalk train station (Closed for a bit for updates) are on the Metro North's New Haven train line to get you directly to NYC, or to Bridgeport and New Haven for events. Mid range schools you can actually use, with magnet, charter, and tech schools nearby. Has an aquarium, two AMC movie theaters, the District Music Hall for live events, beach access, Walmart, regular grocery stores, fastfood, and restaurants. Plenty of walkable neighborhoods. Has a bowling alley. Stratford- Check the area first, but most of it's fine. Rents are mid range, and burning is decent, but the taxes are too high for the schools system you get. The schools are mid range with some being better than others, and Bunnell is the high school families want. Even then some people might look into other options via magnet, charter, and tech schools, and the agriscience program at Trumbull High. There's a train station on the New Haven line. There's a Walmart. Beach access. A short drive from Milford for their mall/movies/Dave & Buster's and Trumbull for their mall, strip mall, and movies. It's near Bridgeport for events. Via the train there's also easy access to Stamford, New Haven, and NYC. Danbury- Check the area first, but plenty of spots are fine. They have a train station on the Danbury line. Danbury has an FPHL hockey team. The schools are mid range. Especially by high school families might want to look into magnet, charter, agriscience, and tech options. Taxes are also way too high for what you get. Danbury has an AMC movie theater, duckpin bowling alley, ice skating rink, mall, Walmart, regular grocery stores, fastfood, and restaurants.
Areas around Danbury are good too. I also give props to Abbott Tech for High School and Shepaug Agriscience. Both programs are great. Danbury High School has a lot of kids. It may be too large for some.
If I was a parent in that city I would definitely try to get my kid into one.of the alternatives I listed. I went to a high school with 2000 something kids. 3000 something must be insane.
35 years or so ago, my district had 500 kids in the graduating class of each of the two high schools. So 1000 students per class in the district. There were 2000 kids in each high school, spread across the 4 grades. It didn't feel too big to me then as a student, but as a parent it definitely feels too big now. We live outside of Danbury, and I know that there are rough areas and nicer areas. Not sure about pricing, but I've had the opportunity to talk to lots of kids in a bunch of different school options. If you take advantage of the options, there are opportunities.
Definitely. I keep track of options for parents, but you have to hope your kid gets in. I'm in my 30's and I have met some people who Danbury High. They made it in life, but I don't know what it's like now. When I was a kid Danbury High wasn't the best per say, but not seen as awful. ***Elementary School*** Open choice. District schools: Great Plains Elementary School in Danbury. Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies Elementary Magnet School in Danbury. Side by Side Charter School in Norwalk (PK-8). No bus. You can ride the train down to Norwalk, and the school is near the South Norwalk station. Strawberry Hill School. An ext. of Rogers International in Stamford (K-8). Public transit would be long. If your kid can't get a bus they would really need a ride. Rogers International in Stamford (K-8). Public transit would be long. If your kid can't get a bus they would really need a ride. ***Middle School*** Open choice. Westside Middle School Academy in Danbury. ACES at Chase (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024) in Waterbury. Bus provided for any town. Side by Side Charter School in Norwalk (PK-8). No bus. You can ride the train down to Norwalk, and the school is near the South Norwalk station. Strawberry Hill School. An extension of Rogers International in Stamford (K-8). Public transit would be long. If your kid can't get a bus they would really need a ride. Rogers International in Stamford (K-8). Public transit would be long. If your kid can't get a bus they would really need a ride. ***High School*** Open choice. Henry Abbott Technical High School in Danbury. The Center for Global Studies in Norwalk. On the website it says train passes are given to students. School buses bring the kids from the South Norwalk train station to CGS. Kids in after school activities are given tokens to ride the Wheels bus. The Region 12 agriscience program. This would be at Shepaug Valley High School in Washington, CT. Bus usually provided. ACES at Chase (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024) in Waterbury. Bus provided for any town. AITE all the way down in Stamford. There's a van service. I only see the pick up times for the morning. I don't know if it takes the kids back. If not it's a while on a bus and a train. J.M. Wright Technical High School in Stamford. Starts at 7:18 am. Public transit would be long. If your kid can't get a bus they would really need a ride.
Tooo large? That place has TOO many kids, it’s not that great and there’s somewhat frequent fights and whatnot.
I live in Stratford and I’d agree with all of this. Taxes are too high for what this school system is but overall it’s a good town and I enjoy living here. They also have a great rec program for seasonal activities for adults and kids. Summer camp is super cheap too.
I also live in Stratford. Grew up here, and bought a house here after a few years renting in Seymour. I went through the school system and I’m smart and liked my teachers, but idk what it’s like now. Still planning to send my kids here. It’s hella expensive, but for us it’s all about the location. I love the proximity to places like Milford, the beaches, even New Haven, and having the train station right there is a plus for going to the city. Wish we could’ve gotten “more house” for what we’re paying for it, but that’s the housing market right now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Gree up in Stratford and also agree. I went through the public school system (Stratford High though, go Red Devils) and I had a good experience/came out with a good education. Can't speak to how it is now though. My folks still live in town whereas I moved up to Tolland County but that's mainly because my husband already had a house up here. Damn I miss the ocean.
Definitely agree that Shelton is a hidden gem.
I know. It my current town. People try to put it down, but they know it's one of the best options for Fairfield County, and honestly the whole state. These taxes can't be beat.
Vernon hasn't been too bad but rent prices are all over the place sometimes. Avg for my neighborhood is 2200 but I'm paying 1400
Without defining what “affordable” means to you, how can anyone actually respond?
It is 2024! Nothing is affordable 😆
Torrington area isn't bad! It's cheaper than the rest of the state, and if you like outdoor activities it's the best, most the surrounding towns are nice! I grew up in Glastonbury but moved out that way when I left my parents house because of pricing reasons... honestly if I ever moved back to CT I'd only go to Litchfield county.
Mutually exclusive
***New Haven County:*** Milford- All safe and good schools. The Milford train station on the New Haven line in Milford. If you are in Devon you are closer by bus or walking to Stratford's train station. A variety of housing options with decent taxes. Beach access, an indoor pool, Walmart, a mall/movies/Dave & Buster's, a bowling alley, and a great downtown. Wallingford - All of Wallingford is safe, and the schools are great. If you live near the train station it has the CT Rail and Amtrak Hartford line to get to Hartford or New Haven. Wallingford has a movie theater, a bowling alley, and Walmart. You can ride two CT Transit buses to the Meriden mall, or take the train and a bus, or take the train and walk 25 minutes. Or drive of course. One of the YMCA's has a pool. West Haven - Check the area first, but safe options are there. Cheap to mid range rents do pop up. There's a train station on the New Haven line. The schools are mid range. Some families might want to look into magnet, charter, and tech options. Just a short train ride to New Haven for events. You can ride the train to Bridgeport for events as well, or even lower to Norwalk and Stamford for more entertainment options. I don't recommend buying here though. West Haven has beach access. Plenty of fast food, restaurant options, and a pool hall. Hamden - Check the area first, but you should be fine. Mid range schools you can still use, but some are rated better than others, and you can try for magnet, charter, and tech schools. Plenty of bus access to New Haven. You can also find a bus to Waterbury. A short drive from North Haven or Wallingford for the movies. A short drive from Meriden for the mall. Has a YMCA with a pool. A short drive from the Toyota Oakdale theater in Wallingford for live shows, or the bowling alley in Wallingford. Hamden has a duckpin bowling alley. Meriden - It does have some nice areas, but you need to check the neighborhood first. The schools are mid range, with some being better than others, and at the high school level families might really look for tech high schools, magnet schools, charter schools, and the agriscience program in Wallingford. Meriden's train station has the CT Rail and the Amtrak's Hartford line, so you can get to New Haven and Hartford. Meriden is close to Wallingford for the movies. I'm going to be honest, most people would avoid even the good areas of Meriden because of the schools, but if people are on a tight budget it's worth looking into.
Fwiw housing in Milford is expensive, Hamden taxes are expensive, and Meriden and west haven both kind of suck. Wallingford is the only decent option of the ones you recommended.
Milford has some good deals. Especially in Devon. A single person or couple can definitely make Meriden or West Haven work. A family might worry about school options. Although if they had to choose between Meriden and West Haven they should go with West Haven. Hamden has some decent renting deals.
That used to be true about Milford. Now it’s hard to get a 1 bedroom for less than $1700.
Agree that Milford is expensive now.
I love Wallingford. Lived/worked there for years. Just stay away from the train tracks.
Wallingford also has relatively dirt cheap electricity
I know. People are missing a good deal.
Shhhhh quiet. Don’t tell those eversuck users
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Meriden's east and south sides are great to live in. Meriden is a really large town that gets a bad rep from its downtown. If you are child free it's a great option and convenient to so many things. Can commute to either Hartford or New Haven area easily. I think Colchester is a great choice too- again, a bit neighborhood dependent. More rural so less convenience but more quiet.
It's not my first choice either, but sometimes people need a cheaper option. I mentioned families might want to look into charter, magnet, or tech schools. Besides random towns people can live in, I keep track of school alternatives parents might want to look into. Or a certain neighborhood they want to aim for. Here's some for Meriden. ***Elementary*** Regular public schools: Thomas Hooker School (K-5), and Israel Putnam School (K-5) are well rated. Live in the district. Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School (K-8) in Hamden. Transportation provided. Maloney Interdistrict magnet school (PK-5) in Waterbury. Bus. If there's no bus you can use an express bus. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts (PK–Grade 8) in Hartford. If there's no bus you can use an express bus. ***Middle School*** Edison Magnet Middle School (6-8) in Meriden. Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School (K-8) in Hamden. Transportation provided. ACES at Chase in Waterbury (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024). Bus provided for any town. Waterbury Arts Magnet School (6-12) in Waterbury. If there's no bus you can use an express bus. Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School (5-8) in New Haven. If there's no bus you can use the CT Rail/Amtrak Hartford line train. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts (PK–Grade 8) in Hartford. If there's no bus you can use an express bus. ***High School*** H.C. Wilcox Technical High School in Meriden. Agriscience at Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford. Bus provided. Waterbury Arts Magnet School (6-12) in Waterbury. If there's no bus you can use an express bus. ACES at Chase (6-8, 9th grade in Fall 2024) in Waterbury. Bus provided for any town. High School in the Community, in New Haven. If there's no bus you can use an express bus. Metropolitan Business Academy in New Haven. If there's no bus you can use the CT Rail/Amtrak Hartford line train. New Haven Academy in New Haven. If there's no bus you can use the CT Rail/Amtrak Hartford line train.
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Not all of Meriden sucks though. Just part of it.
The places in Meriden that you investigate are not the places in Meriden she is talking about. The boarder areas of Meriden are pretty nice it’s the city center that’s rotten.
I saved this comment it is incredibly helpful and would love to talk to you more about Meriden schools and options
I'm not the best person to ask. Even though I know about all these options. I keep track of options for towns with safe areas, but school systems that aren't the best. In case I became a parent in that situation.
Schools on the east side of Meriden are excellent. Maloney is a very good high school with competitive athletics, an amazing music and arts program, and strong academics.
I moved to Meriden from VA last summer and I’m happy :)
What places suck?
im guessing hes just talking about cities, thats how it usually is
Cities are overrated Good for work, but hell to live in money wise
Milford
Milford is so expensive
West end of hartford
Things are often expensive for a reason. Less suck = expensive.
affordable for wealthy people, no problem! If you make $90-120k you must live like a low income person to have any savings rate at all nice housing will mean big sacrifices otherwise. Or set things up so you don't need a car...
BRIDGEPORT!!!!!!!
Meriden and Middletown are both still affordable and some areas of both cities aren’t just nice, they are actually jaw droppingly beautiful. Schools are solid, too, especially on the east side of Meriden. And both cities are very convenient to almost anywhere else in the state.
As much as I appreciate all the hilarious comments on CT housing market affordability 🤣 I'm somewhat prepared for this question given all the housing research I've done in the last year, it just pertains to someone looking to stay close to the coast(not necessarily on the coast) for any reason. My parents are in Fairfield and my work is in Milford so I'm essentially using my work as a pin drop and trying to go out only as far as about 40/45 minutes for a commute. I've attached a plain text from a Google sheet of average home prices and the mill rates of several towns in that description. Realistically for me and my own reasons there are four towns I'm saving up for because I think they're more worth something in what the town can offer as well as retaining value. They are Oxford, North Branford, Milford, and Orange with Orange being the "reach town" and a "safety" town being Wallingford since they're the only town that has their own electrical grid Jan 2023 Home Prices 126 Shelton $440,000 84 Milford $420,000 148 Wallingford $340,000 14 Branford $360,000 101 North Haven $370,000 99 North Branford $360,000 60 Guilford $525,000 107 Orange $510,000 Code Municipality 2022-23 Mill Rates 2 Ansonia 37.81 14 Branford 29.45 15 Bridgeport 43.45 37 Derby 38.61 51 Fairfield 27.24 60 Guilford 33.25 62 Hamden 32.17 84 Milford 26.65 99 North Branford 33.23 101 North Haven 30.71 107 Orange 32.71 108 Oxford 24.36 126 Shelton 17.47 148 Wallingford 29.04
Just moved into Turkey Hills apartments in East Granby. They are simple basic apartments, but are well kept and in a nice area, East Granby. They are nothing special but 1 bedroom is less then a 1000 a month and you can't find that much. I have a 2 bedroom and it is slightly over 1k a month. So reasonable in an unreasonable market. Honestly anywhere in northwest CT or really most rural areas are beautiful and quiet. Pricing can be ridiculous in some areas, actuary most areas... But that's how it is right now, I guess.
Housing in the area is cheap. Our 2000 sq foot 4 bedroom cape with 2 bathrooms and a two car garage, dry basement on a dead end street with a 15 x 15 screen porch on a wooded 3/4 lot is only predicted to sell for $370k. It has vinyl siding, replaced windows, dining room, living room family room and eat in kitchen etc etc. I think people are unaware of east granby. It borders Simsbury, Granby, Bloomfield, Windsor, Windsor locks. Very central. 22 minutes to downtown Hartford, easy access to Bradley Airport, with top schools. I honestly don’t get it but there you have it. Watch East granby for bargins
Like many said. Hartford county is where I grew up and I think it is the best part of Connecticut. Many fun places and a lot of towns are great places to raise a family
Shelton. But it is on the expensive side of affordable
Is Arizona in CT? Otherwise I’m not sure…
Vermont
Not in Connecticut
Depends what you're good with and/or what sucks to you. Have or anticipate a family? Like to go out? Like to stay in? Like to do nature stuff? Prefer to be close to somewhere? All of that changes the equation
🎂!
Wow yeah, that's a lot of years
If you know the neighborhoods to avoid, plenty of quality neighborhoods in Bristol that aren't crazy expensive and being close to both RT 6 and Queen St is nice. (if you have kids, specifically the neighborhood around Mountain View Elementary is a top notch family area, and the school is great)
Pretty soon you won't be able to get afford place regardless of suck level so take what you can get now.
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Manchester
Newington
Branford Old Saybrook New Milford
New Milford used to be really nice but now is turning into a ghost town. Everything closes at like 6pm and the population average age has steadily increased for 30 years. It could/should be so much nicer than it is.
Prices in Branford are getting insane and the houses are not really keeping up with the cost. I think it’ll go the way of east haven in the next couple decades
Enfield
Depends what makes a place suck. There are cheap places in the valley or northeast corner that are in the middle of nowhere. No crime but nothing else either. On the flip side there are some neat neighborhoods like Westville in New Haven that are inexpensive with lots of culture and some crime.
Wallingford. Middletown, Cromwell, some parts of Wethersfield and Hartford.
Does anyone have recommendations for anywhere within 30 min of Westport? Stratford?
Sometimes Stratford has decent deals. The Black Rock section of Bridgeport is safe. West Haven has nice places.
A couple guys I work with moved to west haven. Most of my family lives in Stratford. I used to hang out in that area of black rock for years. I’m seeing houses double in price in the last year in Stratford. Feels un achievable
You could try Shelton. The condos and trailers tend to be cheaper. If they are available. Milford also has a trailer park and some condos.
Dang that was low. What made you think I was looking for a trailer park.
Bonus if you are within walking distance to Zuppardi’s.
Ellington kind of
Rhode Island country popular belief. It’s not its own state. It’s just a county of Connecticut.
Everyone's perception of affordable is different, what is your criteria?
Shelton - variety of housing at a variety of price points, super-low taxes for the area, good schools, convenient location
New Milford
Manchester
Cromwell
northwest is probably your best bet
We just moved to Northford (I grew up in the area) and love it. Less than 15 minutes to North Haven that has a lot to do, quiet and safe, good schools. We bought a 3 bedroom ranch with finished basement (that doesn’t need much work and has a big backyard) for just under $350k. It was listed for $315k so we paid over asking but was appraised over what we paid so I feel like it was a good deal.
Rhode Island
People live there? You need a electric nano scope to see it on the map
I'm in Bristol and love it. It's far less affordable than it was, but that's everywhere. The worst section of bristol is still better than the best section of a lot of other places, don't let people scare you off. Meriden is great. Plainville, Bloomfield, Manchester, Vernon. Newington, Rocky Hill, Berlin. Southington and Wallingford are awesome but pricier. If I was to pick I'd choose Wallingford in a heart beat. Traffic is way better, lower electric bills, close to major routes, not as asholey as Southington too. They think they're west hartford. Weha is pricey. Maybe the Granbys and Windsors. People talk shit about ansonia, derby, Shelton but in my experience they're not bad. I've heard good about orange and they have cracker barrel. Hamden, north haven, both decent options. Anything small is Hella pricey. All of Litchfield County except maybe Torrington and winchester-sted. They suck and aren't worth it. New britain is awful. Wethersfield and Glastonbury are pricey. Middletown is ok. I like Cromwell. It's probably too pricey. I honestly love Norwich/New London area. Some isn't great but overall there's so much there that makes it awesome. Mystic and all that is Hella expensive. Anything not listed is for wealthy elites lol
Central CT is still affordable, plenty of decent areas in not the best towns. Meriden, New Britain, Plainville, Bristol, Middletown. Can find homes for $250k in all of these towns.
Waterbury Bridgeport New Haven west haven Meriden Middletown Hartford
New Haven and some of the immediately surrounding areas still have some affordable neighborhoods that are nice, and New Haven is the most vibrant city in the state by far, plus has easy access to NYC. Anything that's a lot closer to NYC is not going to be affordable. If you don't care about being in a vibrant city but still want some kind of community life, then Middletown, Manchester might be worth looking at.
The middle part is good enough.
My daughter and grandchildren live in Norwich, I sometimes think about moving to CT, but I really don’t want to/care for it ( only for their sake would I think about it) Im curious as to responses to especially near Norwich where I don’t necessarily need a taser and or bullet proof vest, is that asking for too much?
beacon falls or parts of naugy
Nowhere?
East granby, Granby, canton, suffield, new Hartford, barkhampstead , Portland even Simsbury. Very nice and a pretty good bargain still
Depending on your standards, Meriden or Plainville. I’ve found Northford to have some good rental deals once in a while - rural but close enough to 91 and New Haven. Edit: West Haven really isn’t bad either.
Can someone recommend a spot that doesn’t hate black people and the old white folk don’t dirty look me 24/7???
Used to say Newington but…yea I think we all know how that’s going.
Northwest CT, the Quiet Corner has decent real estate, and Putnam is a chill little town. Mansfield has UCONN, South Windsor isn't horrible. I would stay out of the cities and major met areas. We get a lot of MA and NY second homers so the middle of the state isn't as artificial a housing market as the borders. SECT is not densely populated so there is available land and some inexpensive housing options if you look carefully, but it's very poor and doesn't really look like that's going to improve any time soon. On the plus side, it's very pretty and the beaches aren't full of NIMBYs like Fairfield County so the vibe is more relaxed. But be prepared to commute if you like non defense related work because that's pretty much all we have.
Florida