The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Connecticut For 2025


The best places for families in Connecticut are Greenwich and Bethel for 2025 based on Saturday Night Science.

Three new cities moved into the best places for families in Connecticut according to the HomeSnacks most family friendly places for 2025 report.

Each year we analyze what we feel are the best places for families in Connecticut. We take into account categories that we all agree make a state great for families like family friendly amenities and percentage of households that currently have kids. We also take into account places with solid schools, low crime, and great jobs with competitive salaries. We even looked at short commute times. According to the Happiness Research Institute, most families don’t like where they live and wished they lived somewhere better. However, not the folks in our most family friendly places in Connecticut.

How did we determine Connecticut’s most family friendly places? We consulted the US Census on places in this New England state with more than 11,000 residents. We ended up with 32 family friendly Connecticut places that any family would be lucky to call home.

We also discovered that there are family friendly places for every budget. The Constitution State has hip places for families just starting out like Milford, idyllic Norman Rockwell-esque places like Simsbury Center, and upscale places like Norwalk for families who don’t have to worry about being on a budget.

Are you surprised by this year’s results? Pull up a chair and put a smile on your face as we look at Connecticut’s best places for families.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Best Cities To Raise A Family In Connecticut For 2025

  1. Greenwich
  2. Bethel
  3. Willimantic
  4. Shelton
  5. Orange
  6. West Hartford
  7. Wethersfield
  8. Windsor Locks
  9. Stamford
  10. Norwalk

Best Cities For Families In Connecticut Map

When you choose to live in one of Connecticut’s best places for families, you are choosing to live where you can keep your family safe, happy, and healthy. You are choosing to live where your Connecticut salary will go the furthest for your family. And that, Connecticuters, makes perfect sense.

So, what’s the best place for families to live in Connecticut for 2025? Drum roll… the number one best place for families in The Nutmeg State is Greenwich based on the most recent Census data.

To see how your city compared, take a look at the list below. And if you don’t find your favorite there, head on down to the bottom.

More reading about Connecticut and the best places for families in the country:

The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Connecticut For 2025

Greenwich, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Paul Sableman | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 14,528
Median Income: $136,154
Average Home Price: $1,486,100
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 49
Closest Major City: Yonkers
Households with kids: 29.4%
More on Greenwich: Data

Bethel, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Jerry Dougherty | CC BY 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 11,606
Median Income: $88,344
Average Home Price: $377,500
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 52
Closest Major City: Yonkers
Households with kids: 29.5%
More on Bethel: Data

Willimantic, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Pi.1415926535 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 17,774
Median Income: $41,972
Average Home Price: $180,600
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 48
Closest Major City: Worcester
Households with kids: 30.9%
More on Willimantic: Data

Shelton, CT

Source: Wikipedia User TheDemonChicken at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 41,402
Median Income: $114,739
Average Home Price: $435,700
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 36
Closest Major City: Yonkers
Households with kids: 28.5%
More on Shelton: Data

Orange, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Andrew Bossi | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 14,251
Median Income: $145,625
Average Home Price: $466,800
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 48
Closest Major City: Yonkers
Households with kids: 34.2%
More on Orange: Data

West Hartford, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Ragesoss | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 63,809
Median Income: $125,616
Average Home Price: $391,200
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 71
Closest Major City: Worcester
Households with kids: 28.4%
More on West Hartford: Data

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 27,180
Median Income: $118,523
Average Home Price: $300,500
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 46
Closest Major City: Worcester
Households with kids: 27.6%
More on Wethersfield: Data

Windsor Locks, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Magicpiano | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 12,555
Median Income: $90,417
Average Home Price: $236,800
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 52
Closest Major City: Worcester
Households with kids: 27.4%
More on Windsor Locks: Data

Stamford, CT

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 135,806
Median Income: $107,474
Average Home Price: $614,300
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 54
Closest Major City: Yonkers
Households with kids: 26.5%
More on Stamford: Data

Norwalk, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Noroton at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 91,375
Median Income: $105,301
Average Home Price: $535,000
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 57
Closest Major City: Yonkers
Households with kids: 29.3%
More on Norwalk: Data

Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Connecticut anyways?

To give you the places in Connecticut that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.

After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Connecticut, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:

  • Crime (Both violent and property)
  • Quality of local schools
  • Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
  • % of households with children
  • Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)

We then gave each city a “Family Score.”

The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 11,000 people. For Connecticut, that meant a total of 32 cities.

We updated this article for 2025. This is our tenth time ranking the best cities for families in Connecticut.

Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Connecticut

If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Connecticut ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.

The best places for families in Connecticut are Greenwich, Bethel, Willimantic, Shelton, Orange, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks, Stamford, and Norwalk.

Here’s a look at the best cities for singles Connecticut according to the data:

  1. Meriden
  2. Waterbury
  3. New Britain

For more Connecticut reading, check out:

Best Places For Families In Connecticut

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price Amenities Score
1 Greenwich, CT 14,528 $136,154 $1,486,100 73
2 Bethel, CT 11,606 $88,344 $377,500 44
3 Willimantic, CT 17,774 $41,972 $180,600 65
4 Shelton, CT 41,402 $114,739 $435,700 56
5 Orange, CT 14,251 $145,625 $466,800 45
6 West Hartford, CT 63,809 $125,616 $391,200 53
7 Wethersfield, CT 27,180 $118,523 $300,500 63
8 Windsor Locks, CT 12,555 $90,417 $236,800 54
9 Stamford, CT 135,806 $107,474 $614,300 77
10 Norwalk, CT 91,375 $105,301 $535,000 67
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.