Top Cities in Connecticut

Connecticut at a Glance

Nicknamed “The Constitution State,” Connecticut played an integral part in the founding of the United States. It’s no surprise, then, that the state offers a plethora of historic attractions. Mystic Seaport celebrates Connecticut’s maritime heritage, allowing visitors to step back in time and experience life in a 19^th century seaside village. If paleontology is right up your alley, Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill is the site of 200 million-year-old fossil tracks. The state boasts several aquariums and science centers, including the Mystic Aquarium, Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, and the Connecticut Science Center. The state’s largest city, Bridgeport, has more than 147,000 residents as well as the Beardsley Zoo, the Housatonic Museum of Art, and the Barnum Museum. Literary buffs flock to the Mark Twain House in Hartford to see the place where great American classics were penned. Outdoor enthusiasts will find no shortage of adventure in Connecticut, with hundreds of multi-use trails in state parks and forests like Pachaug, home to the Great Meadow Swamp. Winter sports aficionados can ski to their hearts’ content at Mohawk Mountain and Powder Ridge.

Top Cities in Connecticut

• Branford
• Bristol
• Canton Center
• Collinsville
• East Glastonbury
• East Windsor Hill
• Glastonbury
• Guilford
• Hamden
• Madison
• Manchester
• Marion
• Mashantucket
• Meriden
• Middletown

Why You’ll Love Living in Connecticut

Historically, the shellfish industry, particularly oysters, was a mainstay of Connecticut’s economy. Today, the oyster’s role has dwindled, though agriculture still employs about 12,000 people throughout the state. The finance sector, including insurance and real estate, is now Connecticut’s top industry. The biggest private employers include The Hartford, Cigna, and GE Capital. Heavy manufacturing has a significant presence in the state as well, with United Technologies Corporation and Lockheed Martin leading the pack. The hospitality, tourism, and cultural sectors provide 170,000 jobs; casinos in eastern Connecticut number among this industry’s top employers. Though the state has been somewhat sluggish in its recovery from the recession, Hartford Business Journal forecasts positive growth in the state’s near future. The median household income for the state is about $70,000, significantly higher than the national figure of $53,000. This helps to offset the overall cost of living in Connecticut, which is about 30 percent above the US average.  

Connecticut home sales figures skyrocketed in 2015, though in some localities, sales prices dropped considerably. Overall, many real estate analysts believe the state’s market is headed in the right direction, and that an incremental recovery bodes better for the long-term health of the housing sector than a drastic leap would. Declining dollar signs in some markets aside, Connecticut certainly has its fair share of pricey housing. In 2013, the state made headlines as home to the most expensive house in the nation. The sprawling estate known as Copper Beech Farm was listed at a record-breaking $190 million. Greenwich, New Canaan, and Riverside all made Forbes’s 2015 list of the most expensive housing markets in the US. However, there’s also plenty of affordable housing available throughout the state. Middletown, Manchester, and Bristol all have reasonable median home prices. The median list price for the state is $286,000. A home in Hartford sells for a median $178,000.