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What are the main differences between these two areas? Is one more "desirable" than the other, or is it just a matter of personal taste? In particular, we're interested in any differences in:
Population -- Similar demographics? Is either one known for being more conservative or liberal, or more or less educated, or more or less friendly, etc.?
Amenities -- Shops and restaurants? What about parks and other public amenities? Town beaches?
Schools -- We don't plan to use the school system but in case we needed to, is one considerably better than the other or are they roughly on par?
Taxes -- Any big differences or trends?
We're considering a few properties in both of these towns and would love any feedback. Thanks!
New Milford...to be honest only driven through New Fairfield. Hands down can say lots of shops off Route 7 and the Green area of New Milford has lots of shops. Restaurants are mostly local restaurants amazing ones on the Green. The Green also has a Gazebo where bandstand music is played and slew of festivals are ran on the Green.
Lots of community activities to do and a great police department. I think the schools are okay I see no complaints.
I think both hace similiar outdoor opportunities. I give New Milford a slight edge.
I found people in New Milford to be the most friendliest people in the State. Think a mix of liberals and conservatives. Some big movie stars swing into New Milford with Bridgewater, Roxbury, Sherman, and New Preston nearby.
Near a lot of amazing wineries like 30 minutes away.
Amazing amazing town.
Only gripe would be the hospital being taken over by Danbury Hospital feel went a bit down hill family member had a bad experience there.
However, lots of local clinics, hospice, and nursing homes in the area.
Also the river how can I forget the river!!!
Ballparks and Football fields dot New Milford.
They have an amazing Marching Band at the high school.
You are close to Danbury. There always is talks to bring back a train to New Milford, but that's been going on for awhile.
Also back to Republicans they had, which I though was an amazing Mayor Murphy. Now a Democratic Mayor took over.
There are 3 to 4 gyms. But expensive I feel be nice if a Planet Fitness moved in and the YMCA have to travel to Brookfield.
Tax wise I think it be cheaper where I live in CT. Think almost the same 26 something New Milford and 28 in New Fairfield. I know my car insurance be super cheaper in New Milford.
If public schools are ever a possibility I would have some concerns about the ones in NM, specifically with staffing/overcrowding in the younger grades . I have a handful of friends with elementary age kids there and they aren't exactly bowled over by school quality - a couple are looking into moving elsewhere for better schools. I would also be concerned about efforts to address the current concerns and the impact from a tax perspective.
NM has better access to in town conveniences and more reasonable housing costs. It is a very geographically large town so there are some challenges with things like road maintenance. I can't speak to NF's town parks, but I think NM is under-parked for a town of its size. They do however have good kid activities between sports, scouting, and the Pratt nature center in town.
There is economic diversity in both towns but NM is likely a bit more so.
New Milford does have a State Park, Pratt Center, Audubon Center, a few local parks, a park with beach access to Candlewood lake, caves, local trails, and easy access to Appalachian Trail via going down by Gaylordsville.
I don't know I found the schools were pretty decent when I went to apply for a position with the schools. I know they recently changed some of the schools and heard was an issue. I still think New Milford High School is amazing high school.
Both towns are nice but if school performance is important, then the OP should consider New Fairfield. Students there perform better than students in New Milford.
If schools are not a priority, then I would look at the character of each town. New Fairfield is more of a suburban community while New Milford is a small New England style mill town. New Milford has more shopping with a small quant downtown and a ton of stores in strip shopping centers along Route 7. New Fairfield has shopping for everyday needs like groceries and pharmacies but for major shopping you have to drive to Danbury. New Milford has its own hospital while New Fairfield relies on Danbury Hospital.
New Milford is the largest town in area in the state so it has a wide range of neighborhoods to consider. It has denser housing near the center and more rural areas away from it. New Milford has three times the area of New Fairfield but only twice the population. New Fairfield is on the state's largest lake, Lake Candlewood. New Milford is not.
New Fairfield is definitely the more affluent of the two towns with a household income of around $101,000 verses New Milford's $79,000. New Milford is the more diverse of the two towns but New Fairfield is more educated with 46% of its residents having a four-year college degree verses 39% in New Milford. The biggest employers in New Fairfield is a construction company and the schools while in New Milford they are the Kimberly Clark and Nestle factories.
It is hard to comment on taxes though. The best thing would be to compare the taxes on homes in your price range in each community. Both are nice towns but it is really up to you which one better suits your family. Good luck, Jay
What are the main differences between these two areas? Is one more "desirable" than the other, or is it just a matter of personal taste? In particular, we're interested in any differences in:
Population -- Similar demographics? Is either one known for being more conservative or liberal, or more or less educated, or more or less friendly, etc.?
Amenities -- Shops and restaurants? What about parks and other public amenities? Town beaches?
Schools -- We don't plan to use the school system but in case we needed to, is one considerably better than the other or are they roughly on par?
Taxes -- Any big differences or trends?
We're considering a few properties in both of these towns and would love any feedback. Thanks!
Population - New Fairfield is half the size at almost 14K vs. almost 30K in New Milford, so New Milford will offer more diversity.
Amenities - New Milford will offer more dining and shopping options by far. Along Route 7 you can find all the box stores, etc. New Fairfield is a small town. There are a handful of restaurants in New Fairfield (a couple of Italian places, a really good burger joint (really good!), a nice new sport's bar, pizzeria, Chinese, and a casual dining place up by Squantz Pond) Shopping in New Fairfield is limited to your basics -- there are no box stores in town and the only chain shops in New Fairfield are Starbuck's, Dunkin Donuts, Subway and Peachwave. There is one supermarket (Stop & Shop), a butcher, a bakery, a couple of wine shops, a hardware store, a ballet school, tae kwon do school, a pharmacy and a couple of nail salons. There are also a couple of independently owned gyms in town as well. That's about it. Both towns offer easy access to Danbury though.
Both towns border Candlewood Lake; both towns have town beaches on the lake. I'm not familiar with New Milford parks, but it does have a lovely town green. New Fairfield has numerous sporting fields, a dog park, lots of hiking trails, Pootatuck State Forest and Squantz Pond State Park.
Both towns are nice but if school performance is important, then the OP should consider New Fairfield. Students there perform better than students in New Milford.
If schools are not a priority, then I would look at the character of each town. New Fairfield is more of a suburban community while New Milford is a small New England style mill town. New Milford has more shopping with a small quant downtown and a ton of stores in strip shopping centers along Route 7. New Fairfield has shopping for everyday needs like groceries and pharmacies but for major shopping you have to drive to Danbury. New Milford has its own hospital while New Fairfield relies on Danbury Hospital.
New Milford is the largest town in area in the state so it has a wide range of neighborhoods to consider. It has denser housing near the center and more rural areas away from it. New Milford has three times the area of New Fairfield but only twice the population. New Fairfield is on the state's largest lake, Lake Candlewood. New Milford is not.
New Fairfield is definitely the more affluent of the two towns with a household income of around $101,000 verses New Milford's $79,000. New Milford is the more diverse of the two towns but New Fairfield is more educated with 46% of its residents having a four-year college degree verses 39% in New Milford. The biggest employers in New Fairfield is a construction company and the schools while in New Milford they are the Kimberly Clark and Nestle factories.
It is hard to comment on taxes though. The best thing would be to compare the taxes on homes in your price range in each community. Both are nice towns but it is really up to you which one better suits your family. Good luck, Jay
New Milford is most definitely on Candlewood Lake. The 5 lake towns are Danbury, New Fairfield, Sherman, Brookfield, and New Milford
What are the main differences between these two areas? Is one more "desirable" than the other, or is it just a matter of personal taste? In particular, we're interested in any differences in:
Population -- Similar demographics? Is either one known for being more conservative or liberal, or more or less educated, or more or less friendly, etc.?
Amenities -- Shops and restaurants? What about parks and other public amenities? Town beaches?
Schools -- We don't plan to use the school system but in case we needed to, is one considerably better than the other or are they roughly on par?
Taxes -- Any big differences or trends?
We're considering a few properties in both of these towns and would love any feedback. Thanks!
No, The demographics between the towns are VERY different. The last census that had income reported (2000), the median family income was $132,271 for New Fairfield, and $58,367 for New Milford. Whatever the change since then, the ratio is probably similar. So obviously they're not even really comparable in that sense.
Far more amenities in New Milford. Far better schools in New Fairfield.
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