Connecticut is a beautiful state with an excellent quality of life for residents. Families can often find a lot of the amenities they’re looking for in Connecticut towns. For example, there are often good schools, different types of housing available for varying budgets and needs, parks and playgrounds, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities.
With those things in mind, the following are some of the best places for families who want to call Connecticut home.
1. Litchfield
Litchfield is a town in Litchfield County. Houses for sale in Litchfield, CT, include historic homes such as farmhouse-style properties, as well as Dutch Colonials. There are also new construction communities.
Litchfield the town is the quintessential 18th-century New England town. There are shops and restaurants around the historic Green. The town was actually part of the Revolutionary War.
Outdoor activities are available on Bantam Lake and the White Memorial Conservation Center, as well as Topsmead State Forest and Mount Tom State Park.
2. Glastonbury
Glastonbury has an excellent public school system. The schools at every grade level are highly rated. The class sizes tend to be small, with a low student-to-teacher ratio. There are also private school options.
Glastonbury is picturesque since it’s set along the Connecticut River. Outdoor activities range from farms where the family can pick their own produce to hiking trails.
Glastonbury is centrally located in Connecticut and a suburb of Hartford. There’s easy access to major highways, so commutes are shorter.
3. Greenwich
Greenwich, Connecticut, is a good place to live in Connecticut if you have more of a budget to spend on housing. The median income in Greenwich is around $152,577, and the median home value is more than $1.25 million.
Most households in Greenwich are families—around 60%.
Like some of the other names on this list, the Greenwich Public School system is often rated as one of the best in the state and the country. There are around nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and then there’s one high school in Greenwich. There are also private schools and magnet schools.
Nearly 40% of the children in Greenwich go to a private school.
Old Greenwich is a neighborhood in Greenwich that was established by founding families in 1640. The neighborhood is often ranked as one of the most affluent places in the country. Old Greenwich, like the rest of Greenwich, is about an hour’s ride to midtown Manhattan, and you can get to Stamford in just a few minutes.
In Old Greenwich, you’re not likely to find a single-family home for less than $750,000.
For houses directly on the Long Island Sound, prices go up to the millions and sometimes to the tens of millions.
4. Simsbury
Simsbury is often named one of the best places to live in the state and country. The population is small, so you get that town feel.
It’s a naturally beautiful area, with a lot of wooded and green areas.
The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail runs through Simsbury, and there’s tons of history in this Connecticut town.
The schools are great, the crime rate is low, and there are a lot of parks, again, all of which appeal to families with kids.
5. Riverside
Riverside is a neighborhood that’s near Greenwich. It’s walkable, and there are a lot of waterfront homes. You’re also close to the beach and just a quick train ride from NYC.
At one point, Riverside was a fishing and oyster village, and now it’s one of the most popular suburbs for New York City residents who want a quieter lifestyle.
Along Riverside Avenue is the community coffee shop, and there’s also a grocery store.
There are just about 8,400 residents of Riverside, and they live in about two square miles.
There are pretty big price differences between the north and south parts of Riverside as far as houses, with I-95 serving as an unofficial divider.
The estates between that line and the Long Island Sound usually start in the millions. If you go above the highway, there may be more options, like a Colonial-style home for less than $1 million.
As well as the community offering wonderful views of the Long Island Sound, it’s also the home of the Riverside Yacht Club, which was established in 1888. The yacht club is the second oldest of the type in Connecticut, and they offer sailing lessons for all ages as well as hosting regattas in the summer.
