9 Safest Cities in Connecticut (2023 Update)
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Codee Chessher
- Last updated:
Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.
Connecticut is often forgotten in the shadow of the glitzy New York City, but it may surprise you to find out this tiny state has 3.5 million residents. Connecticut is one of the richest and safest states in the US and has a high concentration of wealthy communities. Let’s dive in and check out what the absolute safest cities are in the Constitution State.
The 9 Safest Cities in Connecticut: A Quick Look
1. Weston, CT
| Population | 10,354 |
| Property crime rate | 146 per 100k people |
| Violent crime rate | 0 per 100k people |
| Poverty rate | 344 (2.9%) |
| Average household income | $222,535 |
Known for its celebrity residents like famed actress Bette Davis and legendary guitarist Keith Richards, this affluent community is one of the safest and richest communities in the US. The town’s main attraction is the Lucius Pond Ordway, aka the Devil’s Pond. The town is also notable for having little commercial development, prioritizing residential zoning.
It seems the property taxes are going to good use in Weston, because its violent crime rate recently plummeted, and it has the second-lowest property crime in the state. There have been no incidents of violent crime in the past year, and property crime is pretty scarce too. That lands Weston as the safest city on our list.
Located a stone’s throw from New York City, most of Weston’s residents commute back and forth to the Big Apple. Fortunately for them, the high crime doesn’t follow them back.
2. Newtown, CT
| Population | 27,795 |
| Property crime rate | 205 per 100k people |
| Violent crime rate | 21 per 100k people |
| Poverty rate | 667 (2.4%) |
| Average household income | $127,602 |
This rural Danbury suburb became notorious for a tragic school shooting that sparked national controversy, but Newtown is otherwise known for its Edmond Town Hall Theater and children’s museum. Oh, and did we mention you can take a hike with a mini-llama? Consider us sold.
Perhaps surprisingly, Newtown is one of the safest cities in Connecticut. Its violent crime rate doesn’t even rank the top ten lowest, but it has the second-lowest property crime rate in the whole state. So, maybe carry pepper spray but don’t worry about porch pirates poaching your Amazon packages.
Just like many prominent cities in Connecticut, Newtown is technically part of the NYC metropolitan area. Commuting to the city and coming back home to a safe, tranquil suburb seems to be very common.
3. Madison, CT
| Population | 18,087 |
| Property crime rate | 359 per 100k people |
| Violent crime rate | 0 per 100k people |
| Poverty rate | 307 (1.7%) |
| Average household income | $113,798 |
Across the state from Newtown is Madison, a city as New England as you can get. The town is a northern tourist hotspot, with the longest beach in the state. The town also has richly historical colonial architecture, and its past is firmly rooted in shipbuilding and fishing. All this, and it has an excellent school district too.
It’s not hard to see why the residents love it in spite of the heavy summer tourism: the town had no violent crimes in the past year. Property crime may be due to thefts in the tourist-heavy summers, but at least you won’t get roughed up. Maybe they’re gentlemen thieves.
Madison enjoys a spot directly in the middle of Connecticut’s Long Island Sound, and New Haven is just short drive west. As such, the town strikes a comfortable balance between isolated and busy.
4. Ridgefield, CT
| Population | 25,050 |
| Property crime rate | 580 per 100k people |
| Violent crime rate | 3 per 100k people |
| Poverty rate | 109 (1.3%) |
| Average household income | $163,945 |
Ridgefield is a sleepy city situated at the foot of the Berkshire Mountains, and it’s had a largely understated 300-year existence. The town has rolling green hills, a meditative community garden, and no less than three beautiful art museums along its gorgeously colonial streets.
As if all that doesn’t sound relaxing enough, you don’t have to worry about crime here either. Violent crime is vanishingly rare, and property crime is the fourth-lowest in the state. You could probably sleep with your doors unlocked in this idyllic paradise.
Ridgefield is a decently large city for tiny Connecticut, but it still maintains a spacious suburban feel. Average home prices are fairly high but aren’t into the millions of dollars.
5. Easton, CT
| Population | 7,519 |
| Property crime rate | 558 per 100k people |
| Violent crime rate | 0 per 100k people |
| Poverty rate | 165 (2.2%) |
| Average household income | $157,448 |
A short driver southeast of Ridgefield is the much smaller Easton, with a huge farming industry and even a petting zoo for the kids. On the spooky side, it’s also home to the single most haunted cemetery in the US, the Union Cemetery. Unlike our entries so far, Easton is the most middle-class town you could find in Connecticut.
Easton has the second-lowest rate of violent crime in the state, but it doesn’t even break the top ten of lowest property crime rates. There was actually zero violent crime in the city last year, so you’re not exactly going to see a fight club here. Most people are probably too busy farming!
Easton is a very laidback place, but it’s just 67 miles from New York City if the folks at the orchards wanted to switch it up on the weekend.
6. Granby, CT
| Population | 11,386 |
| Property crime rate | 562 per 100k people |
| Violent crime rate | 0 per 100k people |
| Poverty rate | 592 (5.2%) |
| Average household income | $104,336 |
Right at the tiny notch at Connecticut’s northern border with Massachusetts is Granby, a wholesome town with no less than two state forests, a vineyard, and their own waterfall. Oddly enough, part of Granby split off in the past decades to form their own city, East Granby.
Perhaps they took all the criminals with them because Granby has extremely low crime rates. The town has the second-lowest violent crime rate in the state, and its property crime rate is still a lot lower than the national average.
7. New Canaan, CT
| Population | 20,268 |
| Property crime rate | 498 per 100k people |
| Violent crime rate | 9 per 100k people |
| Poverty rate | 648 (3.2%) |
| Average household income | $190,227 |
New Canaan is a unique city that blends cosmopolitan tendencies with old-school colonial charm. Part of Connecticut’s Gold Coast, the town features vintage colonial homes, modern architecture, and vast swathes of protected parkland. New Canaan is such a community-minded place that its residents even go Christmas caroling together every year!
As to be expected, New Canaan has an excellent public safety record. The property crime rate is over ten times better than the national average, and the violent crime rate is in the top ten lowest across the state.
New Canaan is located just minutes south of Ridgefield and maintains a healthy distance between Stamford and Norwalk.
8. Monroe, CT
| Population | 19,466 |
| Property crime rate | 431 per 100k people |
| Violent crime rate | 15 per 100k people |
| Poverty rate | 435 (3.5%) |
| Average household income | $114,615 |
Monroe sports one of the largest lakes in all of Connecticut, Lake Zoar, and has built several wonderful parks to capitalize on the beautiful scenery. It doesn’t hurt that there are some really gorgeous mountain views here too. If you’re into nature, go boating on the lake and then go check out some of the mountain trails that are so popular.
It seems that everyone must be too busy enjoying the landscape in this city because their crime rates are incredibly low. There were just a handful of violent crimes reported in the last year, and property crimes like theft and robbery were on the low end for anywhere in the US — over 5 times safer than the national average.
If you like proximity to major cities without living in them, you couldn’t do much better than Monroe. Stamford and Norwalk are close, and you can get to either the state capital New Haven or NYC in under 2 hours.
9. Simsbury, CT
| Population | 25,169 |
| Property crime rate | 580 per 100k people |
| Violent crime rate | 11 per 100k people |
| Poverty rate | 856 (3.4%) |
| Average household income | $123,905 |
Simsbury is often called one of Connecticut’s best places to live, in part because of the school district. Simsbury has produced some of the best SAT scores in the nation, and the town’s historical claim to fame is that it was home to the first copper coinage in the US. This is the type of town you live in if you’re serious about your kids’ education and want to live in tranquil luxury.
Apparently, the kids in Simsbury must be too busy studying to commit crime because there’s very little of it reported. The violent crime rate is almost 40 times lower than the national average, and even the lagging property crime rate is 4 times lower than the national average. It seems their education-first approach is working.
Simsbury is just south of Granby and isn’t terribly far from New Hartford either. That makes Simsbury a bit more removed from city hustle and bustle than some other entries above.
Why Are These Connecticut Cities So Safe?
Crime is a complex facet of society, and there’s no single factor that makes particular places safer than others. With that said, there are factors that influence the safety displayed by the cities on this list.
- Connecticut has some of the highest property taxes (3rd highest) in the US, and those taxes typically go straight into the municipal government coffers. This lets the towns perform more essential services for residents, and in turn, promotes the general welfare. Better funded police, hospitals, and schools are included in this.
- Low unemployment helps reduce poverty rates, and together they raise the general satisfaction of residents. Happy people that can provide for themselves and their families are less likely to engage in criminal activities.
- Tight-knit communities with family relationships that go back decades are more likely to stay in one place and build generational wealth. People that grow up together are typically less likely to engage in crime against one another.
See Also:
- 10 MOST DANGEROUS CITIES IN UTAH
- 11 SAFEST CITIES IN SOUTH DAKOTA
- 10 MOST DANGEROUS CITIES IN NEW JERSEY
Conclusion
Although it’s right outside the crime capital of New York, Connecticut is a remarkably safe place to live. As some of these stats show, there are plenty of places to live that have extremely low crime.
Featured Image Credit: Town Hall Ridgefield Connecticut (Image Credit: Doug Kerr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)
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