You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Connecticut. Best sururbs in Connecticut. Best counties in Connecticut.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Constitution State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Connecticut based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Connecticut ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Connecticut For 2025
- Weatogue
- Wilton Center
- Noank
- Pemberwick
- Madison Center
- Mystic
- West Simsbury
- Woodmont
- North Granby
- Niantic
- Old Saybrook Center
- Glenville
- Essex Village
- Ne
- Canton Valley
What’s the best small town in Connecticut? Weatogue is the best small town in Connecticut based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Weatogue, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Constitution State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Connecticut
- Cheapest Places To Live In Connecticut
- Most Dangerous Cities In Connecticut
The 15 Best Small Towns In Connecticut For 2025
1. Weatogue
/10
Population: 2,851
Median Income: $174,286 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $414,100 (17th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6%
2. Wilton Center
/10
Population: 1,730
Median Income: $116,081 (17th Best)
Median Home Value: $493,400 (10th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
3. Noank
/10
Population: 1,617
Median Income: $114,479 (18th Best)
Median Home Value: $571,900 (8th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.1%
4. Pemberwick
/10
Population: 3,455
Median Income: $134,375 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $892,600 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8%
5. Madison Center
/10
Population: 1,818
Median Income: $190,769 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $816,800 (4th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
6. Mystic
/10
Population: 4,441
Median Income: $146,042 (8th Best)
Median Home Value: $493,200 (11th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
7. West Simsbury
/10
Population: 2,878
Median Income: $191,042 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $468,400 (12th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.0%
8. Woodmont
/10
Population: 1,591
Median Income: $89,375 (32nd Best)
Median Home Value: $452,200 (15th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
9. North Granby
/10
Population: 1,510
Median Income: $114,167 (19th Best)
Median Home Value: $389,200 (21st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
10. Niantic
/10
Population: 3,302
Median Income: $82,604 (39th Best)
Median Home Value: $370,200 (26th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%
11. Old Saybrook Center
/10
Population: 2,063
Median Income: $85,466 (37th Best)
Median Home Value: $400,600 (19th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
12. Glenville
/10
Population: 2,663
Median Income: $211,786 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $1,091,700 (1st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 8.4%
13. Essex Village
/10
Population: 2,722
Median Income: $110,469 (20th Best)
Median Home Value: $744,100 (5th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6%
14. Ne
/10
Population: 1,968
Median Income: $161,000 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $465,400 (13th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
15. Canton Valley
/10
Population: 1,364
Median Income: $88,028 (36th Best)
Median Home Value: $354,900 (29th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Connecticut
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Connecticut possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 65 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 65, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Connecticut. Top of that list — Weatogue.
This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Connecticut.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these 15 small towns in Connecticut are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Connecticut are Weatogue, Wilton Center, Noank, Pemberwick, Madison Center, Mystic, West Simsbury, Woodmont, North Granby, and Niantic.
If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Connecticut:
- Plainfield Village
- North Grosvenor Dale
- Canaan
For more Connecticut reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Connecticut
- Safest Places In Connecticut
- Worst Places To Live In Connecticut
Best Small Towns In Connecticut
Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Weatogue, CT | 2,851 | $174,286 | 0.6% | |
2 | Wilton Center, CT | 1,730 | $116,081 | 2.2% | |
3 | Noank, CT | 1,617 | $114,479 | 0.1% | |
4 | Pemberwick, CT | 3,455 | $134,375 | 3.8% | |
5 | Madison Center, CT | 1,818 | $190,769 | 2.7% | |
6 | Mystic, CT | 4,441 | $146,042 | 4.5% | |
7 | West Simsbury, CT | 2,878 | $191,042 | 1.0% | |
8 | Woodmont, CT | 1,591 | $89,375 | 2.6% | |
9 | North Granby, CT | 1,510 | $114,167 | 0.0% | |
10 | Niantic, CT | 3,302 | $82,604 | 1.4% | |
11 | Old Saybrook Center, CT | 2,063 | $85,466 | 0.0% | |
12 | Glenville, CT | 2,663 | $211,786 | 8.4% | |
13 | Essex Village, CT | 2,722 | $110,469 | 0.6% | |
14 | Ne, CT | 1,968 | $161,000 | 3.4% | |
15 | Canton Valley, CT | 1,364 | $88,028 | 1.1% | |
16 | Litchfield, CT | 1,274 | $107,024 | 4.6% | |
17 | Southport, CT | 1,529 | $156,750 | 4.5% | |
18 | Guilford Center, CT | 2,272 | $80,000 | 1.5% | |
19 | Georgetown, CT | 1,751 | $163,158 | 9.5% | |
20 | Thomaston, CT | 2,073 | $81,667 | 4.0% | |
21 | Crystal Lake, CT | 1,963 | $142,642 | 0.0% | |
22 | Brooklyn, CT | 1,045 | $88,750 | 0.0% | |
23 | Higganum, CT | 1,549 | $134,750 | 0.0% | |
24 | East Hampton, CT | 3,159 | $120,875 | 2.9% | |
25 | Saybrook Manor, CT | 1,404 | $120,208 | 4.3% | |
26 | Collinsville, CT | 4,001 | $104,808 | 2.5% | |
27 | Lake Pocotopaug, CT | 4,715 | $108,430 | 3.4% | |
28 | Salmon Brook, CT | 2,229 | $77,500 | 1.8% | |
29 | South Coventry, CT | 1,509 | $103,466 | 2.4% | |
30 | Durham, CT | 3,508 | $126,406 | 4.5% | |
31 | Deep River Center, CT | 2,636 | $74,000 | 1.6% | |
32 | Old Mystic, CT | 3,189 | $119,444 | 4.5% | |
33 | Westbrook Center, CT | 2,529 | $71,132 | 2.3% | |
34 | South Woodstock, CT | 1,294 | $88,182 | 6.4% | |
35 | Broad Brook, CT | 3,550 | $96,484 | 3.6% | |
36 | Somers, CT | 2,081 | $67,203 | 0.8% | |
37 | Moosup, CT | 3,218 | $75,469 | 0.0% | |
38 | Tariffville, CT | 1,607 | $103,125 | 14.3% | |
39 | Wauregan, CT | 1,209 | $90,625 | 2.4% | |
40 | Watertown, CT | 4,215 | $98,003 | 6.0% | |
41 | New Hartford Center, CT | 1,691 | $78,487 | 3.7% | |
42 | Heritage Village, CT | 4,517 | $53,266 | 4.0% | |
43 | Clinton, CT | 3,547 | $83,333 | 8.0% | |
44 | Woodbury Center, CT | 1,491 | $130,180 | 11.1% | |
45 | Moodus, CT | 1,815 | $88,482 | 0.0% | |
46 | Bethlehem Village, CT | 2,275 | $107,838 | 2.1% | |
47 | Colchester, CT | 4,624 | $79,685 | 3.4% | |
48 | Coventry Lake, CT | 2,358 | $73,846 | 1.2% | |
49 | New Preston, CT | 1,121 | $60,526 | 7.3% | |
50 | Quinebaug, CT | 1,163 | $81,458 | 12.6% | |
51 | Waterford, CT | 3,496 | $75,968 | 7.8% | |
52 | Oxoboxo River, CT | 2,912 | $78,415 | 1.9% | |
53 | Chester Center, CT | 1,876 | $73,542 | 5.1% | |
54 | East Brooklyn, CT | 2,008 | $62,125 | 6.6% | |
55 | Northwest Harwinton, CT | 3,126 | $97,977 | 4.7% | |
56 | Blue Hills, CT | 1,989 | $62,672 | 5.0% | |
57 | Baltic, CT | 1,266 | $89,907 | 4.8% | |
58 | Stafford Springs, CT | 4,801 | $70,967 | 6.1% | |
59 | Jewett City, CT | 3,412 | $55,590 | 6.9% | |
60 | South Windham, CT | 1,391 | $72,917 | 3.2% | |
61 | Poquonock Bridge, CT | 1,108 | $42,907 | 20.1% | |
62 | Danielson, CT | 4,185 | $71,672 | 14.1% | |
63 | Canaan, CT | 1,297 | $31,986 | 12.0% | |
64 | North Grosvenor Dale, CT | 1,097 | $80,925 | 14.9% | |
65 | Plainfield Village, CT | 2,260 | $50,703 | 9.6% |