Ever wonder what makes one community better to live in than another? If so, then you’re in luck as Trumbull-based Connecticut Magazine has once again published their analysis of how various cities and towns rank based on several criteria. As usual, they have sorted the localities into four groups based on population:

• 10,000 – 15,000
• 15,000 – 25,000
• 25,000 – 50,000
• 50,000+ (We will feature the smaller towns with populations below 10,000 in their own series of posts coming soon)

Then, information was collected in the quality-of-life criteria that are most important to residents:

• Schools
• Crime Rate
• Cost of Living
• Local Economy
• Leisure/Cultural Outlets

Then the numbers were crunched and rankings were awarded based on how the towns scored in those criteria, with a “1” being the best score possible.

In this four part series of posts, we’re going to show how the top 20 places in each population size fared, and highlight how some towns in our market area fared as well. We’ll begin in Part One with those communities between 10,000 and 15,000 residents:

10,000 – 15,000: Weston New #1, Cromwell, E. Hampton Improve

Very few towns in our market area fell within this group, with the exception of Cromwell, Oxford and Derby which finished 9th, 12th and 16th respectively. Cromwell improved on their previous ranking by 2 spots, thanks mostly to a lower crime rate and good leisure activities, while Derby jumped 3 places after improving in every category. Oxford was rated in a different group last time. Weston and Canton slipped ahead of previous number one Old Saybrook. Weston’s improvement came mainly through lower real estate prices, as median home prices their fell by 25% from 2007 and 10% from 2009.

East Hampton appears to be the happy medium in this group, with above average scores in education, crime and cost of living offsetting subpar numbers in economy and leisure. As we’ve noted before, it’s interesting how the towns that placed well in education, crime and economy are almost always at the bottom of the pack for cost of living and leisure, proving once again that a good school system, low crime rates and good economic opportunities cost money to maintain.

Keep in mind that there are obviously many more criteria to be considered when deciding where to live in Connecticut, but the ones scored here are important and can be used as a starting point for comparison when deciding where to call home. There are many reasons for liking –or not liking – a specific city or town that transcend any statistical ranking or report, and only you can decide if a place is right for you and your family.

In Part Two of this series, we’ll take a look at the next group of towns, those with a population between 15,000 and 25,000 people.

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Rating Connecticut Cities and Towns: 2012 (Part 1)

CT Magazine Rates the State’s Small Towns (Part 3)

This is the third entry in our three part series highlighting the rating of Connecticut’s small towns by Connecticut Magazine. In our first post, we focused on the largest towns in our state, those with populations between 6,500 and 10,000; in our second post, we highlighted towns between 3,500 and 6,500 residents. To recap, the publication set the following criteria for the rankings:

They first sorted the localities into three groups based on population:

• 6,500 – 10,000
• 3,500 – 6,500
• less than 3,500

Then, information was collected in the quality-of-life criteria that are most important to residents:

• Schools
• Crime Rate
• Cost of Living
• Local Economy
• Leisure/Cultural Outlets

Then the numbers were crunched and rankings were awarded based on how the towns scored in those criteria, with a “1” being the best score possible. In this third part of the series, we’ll be taking a look at the next population segment, towns with less than 3,500 residents, and specifically those in our market area, if any:

3,500 and Under:

Unfortunately, there were no towns in our market area included in this segment, but there are several excellent representatives dotted throughout New London, Litchfield and Windham counties. Lyme, with a population of about 2,000, is one of Connecticut’s smallest towns, but it’s also one of the most beautiful.  Much of the town is fronted by the Connecticut River, and there are also many salt marshes in the area. A good school system, low crime rate and stab;e economy add to its attractiveness. Norfolk, at number 2, has the distinction of being the only town with above average scores in every category. And number 6 Eastford remains the jewel of Windham County by virtue of its low crime rate, good SAT test scores, and the lowest median home prices of any town in the top ten.

Here are the full set of results for this population segment:

Remember, these rankings are not to be considered the last word in what the quality of life is in a particular city/town; however, they are a starting point and can be used as a point of comparison when making a decision about where to live in the state. There are many reasons for liking – or not liking – a specific city or town that transcend any statistical ranking or report, and only you can decide if a place is right for you and your family.

That wraps up the Connecticut Magazine rankings of Connecticut’s small towns.  To see these results in their entirety, head on over to the Connecticut Magazine web site.

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• Connecticut Magazine Rates the State’s Small Towns (Part 1) (wallingfordwired.com)
• Connecticut Magazine Rates the State’s Small Towns (Part 2) (wallingfordwired.com)

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Connecticut Magazine Rates the State’s Small Towns (Part 3)

CT Magazine Rates the State’s Small Towns

Last Winter, we profiled the state’s larger cities and towns as ranked by Connecticut Magazine in their November 2009 issue. The Trumbull-based publication has recently done the same for the state’s smaller towns in its March 2010 issue, the first such ranking since 2007.

As with the previous rankings, several criteria were used and the towns were sorted into three groups based on population:

• 6,500 – 10,000
• 3,500 – 6,500
• less than 3,500

Then, information was collected in the quality-of-life criteria that are most important to residents:

• Schools
• Crime Rate
• Cost of Living
• Local Economy
• Leisure/Cultural Outlets

The numbers were then crunched and rankings were awarded based on how the towns scored in those criteria, with a “1” being the best score possible. In this three part series of posts, we’re going to highlight how some towns in our market area fared, as well as the rest of the rankings. So, without an further ado, here’s Part One:

6,500 – 10,000 : Durham, Woodbridge Represent!

Out of the 23 towns in this segment, Durham and Woodbridge did very well, placing 9th and 10th respectively. Durham fared well in most all of the criteria, especially Education, Leisure and Housing Costs, with a median home price of $269,000. Woodbridge also did extremely well in Education, plus posted high scores in Leisure and Economy. It’s median home price was on the high end, however, at $406,000 it was the third highest price in the top ten. Here’s the chart of results:

Towns                                Schools         Crime        Economy        Cost                  Leisure           Total

Remember, these rankings are not to be considered the last word in what the quality of life is in a particular city/town; however, they are a starting point and can be used as a point of comparison when making a decision about where to live in the state. There are many reasons for liking –or not liking – a specific city or town that transcend any statistical ranking or report, and only you can decide if a place is right for you and your family.

In Part Two of this series, we’ll take a look at the next population size, towns between 3,500 and 6,500 residents. To see these results in their entirety, head over to Connecticut Magazine’s web site.

Related Posts:

• Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 1)
• Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 2)
• Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 3)
• Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 4)
  

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Connecticut Magazine Rates the State’s Small Towns (Part 1)

CT Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns

This is the fourth in a four part series highlighting the rating of  Connecticut cities and towns by Connecticut Magazine. In our first post, we focused on the largest cities in our state, those with populations of 50,000 or more; in our second post, we highlighted cities between 25,000 and 50,000 residents; and in our third post, we spoke about the locales with a population between 15,000 and 25,000 people. To recap, the publication set the following criteria for the rankings:

They first sorted the localities into four groups based on population:

• 10,000 – 15,000
• 15,000 – 25,000
• 25,000 – 50,000
• 50,000+ (Towns with populations below 10,000 will be featured in their own rankings in the March 2010 issue; see here for the 2007 rankings)

Then, information was collected in the quality-of-life criteria that are most important to residents:

• Schools
• Crime Rate
• Cost of Living
• Local Economy
• Leisure/Cultural Outlets

Then the numbers were crunched and rankings were awarded based on how the towns scored in those criteria, with a “1” being the best score possible. In this last part of the series, we’ll be taking a look at the next population segment, between 10,000 and 15,000 residents, and specifically those in our market area:

10,000 – 15,000: Cromwell, North Branford Solidly in Mid-pack

Cromwell was solid in the #11 spot, mostly because of its leisure activities and relatively low cost of living. Meanwhile, North Branford was 2 places lower at #13, helped along by a low crime rate and stable economy, and actually fared better in those categories than Cromwell, but it wasn’t enough to move it any higher in the rankings. An interesting note is that the #2 town in this segment, Weston, would likely have been #1 if it wasn’t for a median home price of $830,000 which placed it dead last in that category. And that was still $135,000 LESS than the last time this survey was conducted!

Here are the full results for this population segment:

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 4)

CT Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns

This is the third in a four part series highlighting the rating of  Connecticut cities and towns by Connecticut Magazine. In our first post, we focused on the largest cities in our state, those with populations of 50,000 or more; in our second post, we highlighted cities between 25,000 and 50,000 residents. To recap, the publication set the following criteria for the rankings:

They first sorted the localities into four groups based on population:

• 10,000 – 15,000
• 15,000 – 25,000
• 25,000 – 50,000
• 50,000+ (Towns with populations below 10,000 will be featured in their own rankings in the March 2010 issue; see here for the 2007 rankings)

Then, information was collected in the quality-of-life criteria that are most important to residents:

• Schools
• Crime Rate
• Cost of Living
• Local Economy
• Leisure/Cultural Outlets

Then the numbers were crunched and rankings were awarded based on how the towns scored in those criteria, with a “1” being the best score possible. In this third part of the series, we’ll be taking a look at the next population segment, between 15,000 and 25,000 residents, and specifically those in our market area:

15,000 – 25,000: North Haven Up Against Strong Competition

Our neighbor to the south, North Haven, dropped a few places from the last ratings, from 21st to 24th. The magazine attributed the fall to lower scores in education, crime and the economy. Home sales in North Haven, have been good, however; sales of single family homes were up 40% in October. Also, North Haven’s score for cost of living was 15, placing it squarely in the middle of the pack in that criterion.

Here are the full set of results for this population segment:

Remember, these rankings are not to be considered the last word in what the quality of life is in a particular city/town; however, they are a starting point and can be used as a point of comparison when making a decision about where to live in the state. There are many reasons for liking – or not liking – a specific city or town that transcend any statistical ranking or report, and only you can decide if a place is right for you and your family.

In Part Four of this series, we’ll take a look at the last population segment, towns between 10,000 and 15,000 residents. To see these results in their entirety, pick up a copy of Connecticut Magazine’s November issue, on sale now at your favorite store or newsstand.

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 3)

CT Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns

This is the second in a four part series highlighting the rating of  Connecticut cities and towns by Connecticut Magazine. In our first post, we focused on the largest cities in our state, those with populations of 50,000 or more. To recap, the publication set the following criteria for the rankings:

They first sorted the localities into four groups based on population:

• 10,000 – 15,000
• 15,000 – 25,000
• 25,000 – 50,000
• 50,000+ (Towns with populations below 10,000 will be featured in their own rankings in the March 2010 issue; see here for the 2007 rankings)

Then, information was collected in the quality-of-life criteria that are most important to residents:

• Schools
• Crime Rate
• Cost of Living
• Local Economy
• Leisure/Cultural Outlets

Then the numbers were crunched and rankings were awarded based on how the towns scored in those criteria, with a “1” being the best score possible. In this second part of the series, we’ll be taking a look at the next population segment, between 25,000 and 50,000 residents, and specifically those in our market area:

25,000 – 50,000: Cheshire and Wallingford Represent!

Of the 24 towns in this population group, Cheshire and Wallingford both did very well, ranking 4th and 6th respectively. Cheshire’s strengths lie in its having the lowest crime rate in the category and a strong educational system; however, it’s high cost of living and lack of leisure activities kept it from ranking higher.

Wallingford really didn’t excel in any one area, but was solid in most categories except cost of living. It was buoyed by its low crime rate (#7) and leisure (#8), fueled by its having a newly-remodeled library, 2 golf courses, many good restaurants and also for being the home of Oakdale Theater.

Here’s the full set of rankings for this population segment:

The most startling disparity revealed by the editor’s commentary was the fact that Westport, the #1 town in this population segment, has a median home price of $970,000, which is larger than that of Glastonbury, Cheshire and New Milford combined! Amazing!

Remember, these rankings are not to be considered the last word in what the quality of life is in a particular city/town; however, they are a starting point and can be used as a point of comparison when making a decision about where to live in the state. There are many reasons for liking –or not liking – a specific city or town that transcend any statistical ranking or report, and only you can decide if a place is right for you and your family.

In Part Three of this series, we’ll take a look at the next population size, cities between 15,000 and 25,000 residents. To see these results in their entirety, pick up a copy of Connecticut Magazine’s November issue, on sale now at your favorite store or newsstand.

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 2)