[clutchrider]

Wallingford
North Haven
Branford
Middletown
Cheshire
Bethany
Prospect
Wolcott

[J. Fiction]

Originally Posted by RunD1987

Ranking criteria: School's, local amenities for children, and property tax rate...

Wolcott - 32.20

North Haven - 31.18

Bethany - 36.90

Cheshire - 32.62

Prospect - 31.00

Wallingford - 28.64

Branford - 28.64

Middletown - 34.80 (Plus additional points for Fire department depending on region - not familiar with this, so perhaps someone else could chime in.

I added the current mill rates to your list above per the State of CT website:
https://portal.ct.gov/OPM/IGPP-MAIN/...ons/Mill-Rates

As Jay alluded to, mill rate is only one data point when determining expected tax burden. Towns could have similar mill rates, but one might have cheaper overall home values when comparing similar properties - I.E. a $250,000 home might in one town might be a $350,000 home in another, which plays a role in the assessed value of a property. The assessed value is what the mill rate is applied to to determine the tax assessed to the property. I find it best to poke around zillow/etc... to find similar homes across varying towns and compare actual property taxes on the property. Its imperfect as no two houses are exactly the same, and if you are unfamiliar with the towns it can be difficult to determine which area of which town to compare to the other, but in general it gives you a much better grasp of what taxes would actually look like.

I also gathered together the most recent median household income and median house price data, which you may find helpful (all per city data):

Wolcott - MI: $83,172 | MHP: $244,197
North Haven - $98,867 | $299,860
Bethany - $101,496 | $379,824
Cheshire - $109,041 | $351,745
Prospect - $91,552 | $303,076
Wallingford - $77,659 | $268,361
Branford - $78,609 | $290,994
Middletown - $63,750 | $237,115

Most of your list are in a general geographic cluster with Middletown and Branford being outliers. Middletown is a city with plenty to do - probably the best bar/food scene on your list. It also has the largest population (per city data) of your list. Branford is a nice coastal town, with plenty of amenities. Curious as to there inclusions given the the distance away from the others.

Additionally, your list includes small cities - Middletown and Wallingford both being the most populous of the list with populations in the mid 40Ks, along with super small towns - Prospect and Bethany which both have under 10K. The rest are in between.

I currently live in New Haven and the area I probably know the most about on this list is North Haven - as that is the area I am researching to potential buy a house in the next few years. It is very suburban though it does have a few strips going through with decent shopping so generally you should find everything you need in town. This includes route 5 which extends up into Wallingford for further shopping. You also have Hamden next door which adds further shopping options. There are some good restaurants in town, though I typically stay in New Haven to eat, so I am not an expert on North Haven's food scene. I am not super familiar with the town center, though I have visited the library which is solid if unspectacular. Wallingford's Library is close by and in my opinion much nicer. You also are obviously close to New Haven, which has an lot to do - including plenty of great bars and restaurants and music venues/night life. If craft beer if your thing, there are several options in the surrounding towns, though none in North Haven proper. These range from solid to great. If interested I can go into further detail.

Schools are generally ranked as quite good - arguably the best in the immediate greater new haven area outside of the Amity school district (Woodbridge/Orange/Bethany). As for amenities for kids, this is something I need to research further. I do know that Hamden, which is next door has a lot.

Wallingford is somewhat similar to North Haven though it has a bit more of an industrial feel and there is a more dense "urban" core. The downtown or town center is quite nice. It has a great record shop (Redscroll) if that tickles your fancy. I already mentioned the library in the prior paragraph. It also has a nice new train station which adds another commuting possibility if necessary. Your dollar will generally stretch further here than North Haven. Wallingford also has its own electric utility, so electricity rates are extremely low. Schools are overall a tick or two below North Haven. I like Wallingford and feel it has a lot to offer. I prefer North Haven mainly due to the edge in schools and also the closer proximity to New Haven. It certainly has it deficiencies, but I feel like these are made up by its location and the ease of access to other towns/cities.

I don't know very much about Cheshire, save for driving through town on route 10 from time to time. I grew up in Waterbury so I spent some time in Wolcott - there didn't seem to be much there and my friends typically relied on Waterbury or Southington for extended shopping needs/night life. Bethany I've only driven through on 63 and 69, but I got a definite rural vibe. Prospect always seemed quiet, though back in the day it had a cool skate shop and I spent many a weekend night mini-golfing there.

Hopefully some of this helps, let me know if you have any questions.