Website Ranks Darien No. 6 Best Spot in CT to Raise a Family

Darien ranked No. 6 in Connecticut in a comparison of towns for "the best towns in Connecticut for raising families," according to a data-crunching consumer website, NerdWallet.

"While many couples are ready to start a family, these future parents must consider several factors when choosing the right place to settle down," NerdWallet publicist Laura Zulliger wrote in an email.

By looking at school standardized test scores, real estate and income information, the website produced a list of 10 "best towns for young families" with Orange ranking first, Trumbull second and then the following towns, in order (for a table comparing various factors, go to this NerdWallet Web page):

3. Newington
4. West Hartford
5. Wethersfield
6. Darien
7. Milford
8. Wallingford Center
9. North Haven
10. Westport

NerdWallet described Darien as a residential community where most people commute to places like Stamford, Norwalk and New York City: "Real estate may be pricier here, but the community is also one of the 10 top-earning towns in the U.S., according to CNNMoney. Residents here also enjoy some of the most scenic views around, with waterfront property on the Long Island Sound. The schools are excellent, too; Darien High School consistently outperforms its rivals on the SAT’s math portion."

These factors were used to rank the towns:

1. "Does the town have good public schools?" Ratings from GreatSchools website were used to measure school systems by comparing standardized test scores. School districts were put on a 1-to-10 scale, with 10 the highest rating. Darien received a 10, as did Westport.
2. "Can you afford to live there?" The website compared median home values in each town (with Darien and Westport each reported as having over $1 million) and ongoing monthly home costs ($4,000-plus for each town), " including mortgage payments, real estate taxes, insurance costs, utilities, fuel and other bills. Lower costs led to a higher overall score."
3. "Is the town growing and prospering?" The measure used for that was each town's average household income and income growth over the last decade.