[Tajeeda]

Hello All,
We are a family of 6 ( age 3,3, 6, 12) moving from Ca to CT this summer and still did not find a home😭
We were planning to buy (budget 750K) but now with time limitation we looking into homes for rent. And of course i want to minimize moving kids from school- so we are planning to buy maybe next year in same area we will be renting.
My husband's work will be in Stamford. Mine in Guilford.
We are looking into Orange or Fairfield.
Good public schools and diverse community are our priority - considering that my kids are academically advanced - bilingual - and we are biracial family.
It is soo overwhelming to look from far. We visited CT couple of times .
Plz help me focus my search
Orange or Fairfield ? Or look into somewhere different?

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by Tajeeda

Hello All,
We are a family of 6 ( age 3,3, 6, 12) moving from Ca to CT this summer and still did not find a home��
We were planning to buy (budget 750K) but now with time limitation we looking into homes for rent. And of course i want to minimize moving kids from school- so we are planning to buy maybe next year in same area we will be renting.
My husband's work will be in Stamford. Mine in Guilford.
We are looking into Orange or Fairfield.
Good public schools and diverse community are our priority - considering that my kids are academically advanced - bilingual - and we are biracial family.
It is soo overwhelming to look from far. We visited CT couple of times .
Plz help me focus my search
Orange or Fairfield ? Or look into somewhere different?

Welcome to Connecticut

The distance between Stamford and Guilford is 52 miles that put you in Milford as halfway point.


Milford is suburban city on CT shoreline the city have alot of restaurants, shopping centers and mall, parks. The city of Milford has Oyster Festival every August if you are into seafood. Great train access that goes to New York City also stop in Stamford. Milford schools are great it is like B average school system still is consider good. You can drive to Guilford which is 30 mins away from Milford easy traffic sometimes in New Haven there are backups you can take route 1 back to Milford if there are backups on the highway. Husband can Metro North to Stamford which is 45 mins ride from Milford. The traffic to Stamford in morning and late afternoons can be pretty bad 35 min drive will be 1 hour 30 mins for etc. Orange is great option also but it doesn't have train station if you want public transportation.

[Stephy0519]

Where in CA are you moving from? What school system were your kids in, before? Are you used to traffic (IE LA or the Bay?)

Honestly, Fairfield will be a better commute for your husband--if he is driving (train is an option.) Fairfield to Guilford is a reverse commute, so traffic anywhere northbound will not be as bad as south (with the exception of getting through New Haven.) Schools are pretty comparable in both towns. We like Milford/Orange, but if we move back, Fairfield would be our pick.

I did the reverse move (CT to CA) and am back often.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by BPt111

Welcome to Connecticut

The distance between Stamford and Guilford is 52 miles that put you in Milford as halfway point.


Milford is suburban city on CT shoreline the city have alot of restaurants, shopping centers and mall, parks. The city of Milford has Oyster Festival every August if you are into seafood. Great train access that goes to New York City also stop in Stamford. Milford schools are great it is like B average school system still is consider good. You can drive to Guilford which is 30 mins away from Milford easy traffic sometimes in New Haven there are backups you can take route 1 back to Milford if there are backups on the highway. Husband can Metro North to Stamford which is 45 mins ride from Milford. The traffic to Stamford in morning and late afternoons can be pretty bad 35 min drive will be 1 hour 30 mins for etc. Orange is great option also but it doesn't have train station if you want public transportation.

I’d say Milford is more like a B+ district, especially in the Foran area. Foran has steadily improved and is a solid B+ on Niche and 8 on Great Schools.

OP, a lot depends on if the Stamford job is commutable by train. If it is, it’s a rather easy commute. And it makes living in Fairfield less necessary from a financial standpoint. Fairfield is a fantastic town, but easily 30-40% more expensive than Milford/Orange due to proximity to NYC.

If driving, Fairfield location does help, but unfortunately while a shorter distance it doesn’t cut out much, if any traffic as the traffic generally starts in Fairfield and goes all the way to Stamford. It’s really, really bad, so train is greatly preferred.

I would consider Milford a less wealthy Fairfield. A lot of similarities as far as lots to do, walkability, historic areas, great beaches, variety of shopping/dining. They both have decent socioeconomic diversity, with Milford getting the edge there.

Orange is more homogenous in comparison, and very suburban in nature. But you do get the highly rated schools at a much lower cost than Fairfield. In Milford/Orange you can get a VERY nice house for 500-600k, giving you some extra money to save. Taxes in Orange are a bit on the higher side.

[JayCT]

How long of a commute can your husband tolerate? As BPt111 noted it is more than 50 miles from Stamford to Guilford. Westport would be about half way but your budget will not go far there. Fairfield is a good choice. You might also consider neighboring Easton and Trumbull. Easton is a small rural town with large lots and no real commercial areas. Trumbull is more suburban in character with very good schools. The Milford/Orange area is also good. Orange is more affluent than Milford though Milford has some very beautiful neighborhoods as well. Another town you may want to consider is Woodbridge. Good luck with your search. Jay

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by JayCT

How long of a commute can your husband tolerate? As BPt111 noted it is more than 50 miles from Stamford to Guilford. Westport would be about half way but your budget will not go far there. Fairfield is a good choice. You might also consider neighboring Easton and Trumbull. Easton is a small rural town with large lots and no real commercial areas. Trumbull is more suburban in character with very good schools. The Milford/Orange area is also good. Orange is more affluent than Milford though Milford has some very beautiful neighborhoods as well. Another town you may want to consider is Woodbridge. Good luck with your search. Jay

I would not say Orange is more affluent. Just more homogenously upper middle class. Milford has more affordable condos and small bungalows, but also has magnitudes more $1 million+ properties.

[CTartist]

I see everyone on here getting the op equal distance to both her and her husband's work. The OP has four children (ages 3,3, 6, 12). I say she needs to be as close to them as possible. The OP doesn't say that she has relatives or friends in the area to rely on. That puts them in Milford (or southern Orange) in my mind. Her husband can take the train. I frankly don't like to see her that far away from her children being it take 30 minutes (according to google maps) from Milford to Guilford. The traffic on the entire I-95/Metro North corridor is bad all ways around from Stamford to New Haven.

I would like to see what other women say, especially ones with 3 or 4 children.

OP, I am thinking your husband working in Stamford and you working in Guilford needs to be a stop gap measure until you can find another job closer to Stamford when you get here. At your budget Fairfield would be a good place (great schools, beaches, shopping etc.) for your husband's job and then you can find a job in the Fairfield area to be close to your children.

My husband and I are originally from Stamford. We moved to Trumbull to afford a house. We commuted to Stamford for about 12 years until we found jobs in our area. The traffic from Fairfield/Trumbull to Stamford is bad on most days and "hair pulling" bad on quite a few. I go to the New Haven (Hamden, North Haven, Milford, West Haven) area often because I have quite a few relatives there too. The traffic in the New Haven area is better than Fairfield/Trumbull to Stamford but it is not an easy drive either.

[Stepfordct]

Perhaps live in Guilford. Great schools, plus you will be close to work, kids. Not knowing age of kids without a backup plan of immediate family, friends at 1st. Good for one parent to be close.

[hvexpatinct]

In general, I would want one parent to be near-ish the kids, unless there are family/friends in the general area of residence. I think I would stick with Orange/Milford for housing, unless the job in Guilford will be short term.

[RunD1987]

I say Stamford, Guilford, Fairfield, or Madison