[JayCT]

Welcome to Connecticut. I think you will like it here. There are many places you can consider. I would first look for employment opportunities. The Hartford area is the state’s largest metro area and there are a number of communities like you describe. West Hartford or Middletown come to mind.

New Haven is another great area to consider. The towns already mentioned in that area, Milford and Branford are great suggestions.

Stamford and lower Fairfield County offer great employment opportunities but it is insanely expensive so it may not be an option. Danbury in northern Fairfield County May however work. Jay

[kidyankee764]

In general, west of New Haven and south of Waterbury is where you start getting into NYC commuting territory, as that’s the area served by Metro North commuter rail into midtown Manhattan. It is part of the largest metro in the country and that area of the state holds 50% of the state’s population (meaning lots of traffic). It will get increasingly expensive as you go southwest. The westernmost affordable town is Stratford, before property values become insane closer to the city. The Stamford/Bridgeport area is the wealthiest metro in the country, so there’s no shortage of high income areas nearby wherever you end up. Greater Hartford is much more relaxed and affordable. It’s a bit further to things millennials prefer, though.

A few things I’d like to mention - living here is a lot different than vacationing here.

The cost of living is quite high. In many of the towns where you can get a 200k home, are some of the towns with the most insane tax rates. In Branford, a 200k home after assessment will have property taxes between 4-6k. My home in that area was about 300k and my taxes were 6000. You’re required to pay a yearly vehicle tax to the town you live in, which can range from about $300 for an older car to much higher if your car is newer and assessed higher. Also, utilities are among the highest in the country (I believe THE highest in continental US). This isn’t to turn you off, rather to prepare you.

Just do your homework before you up and move to a place you enjoyed while on vacation.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Stamford and lower Fairfield County offer great employment opportunities but it is insanely expensive so it may not be an option.

Definitely won't work in the OP's budget, but your point about employment is important. Towns like Shelton and Milford are commutable by train to Stamford and Norwalk so they open up a lot of employment opportunities, and both have homes in the mid 200's. Bethel comes to mind too, but the housing stock in the 200's can be pretty rough and taxes are a bit higher.

Though I wouldn't commute by car any further than Norwalk, as the traffic is very bad.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by KatrinaGirl

Hello! I am a Colorado girl and was just in Mystic for a conference. I don't have any attachments where I am now and was thinking of moving to Connecticut or the vicinity in the next year or so.

ISO: progressive town, affordable (homes in the mid 200's) with wealthier areas nearby, decent local economy, dog friendly, educated population, laid back, low crime with parks, paths and the like. Don't need nightlife, just a friendly, healthy, active place where people love their pets like to get outside. Good choices in dining a bonus.

Maybe this place doesn't exist, but it doesn't hurt to ask!

I am an artist & musician so when I retire I want to find a pretty progressive place where there are like minded people. New Haven is probably the most progressive city in the state and one of the most progressive in the nation. I have a older hippie friend from Berklee and he moved to Milford to take care of his mom. He loves the New Haven area. Milford is great but you probabaly could only afford a one or two bedroom condo there.

I have been looking east of New Haven on the coastline. Two towns that are affordable would be East Haven and Branford. You could find small houses in your budget. I am from Stamford & Trumbull (closer to NYC) so Branford seems laid back to me. I don't go to East Haven a lot so others would have to comment on that town. Both are safe towns.

Branford has an Art Center and so does the bordering town of Guilford. There are a lot of artists in the area. New Haven has lots of arts too. Guilford is over your price range though. The great thing about East Haven and Branford is you can take Metro North into NYC. I also think the people in Branford are about the just about the friendliest folks I have met in Connecticut.

The people in Branford are pretty well educated. I get the impression there are a lot of younger workers from both Yale New Haven Hopital and Yale University that live in Branford. The realtors are telling me when they get married they move to Guilford or Madison which are two of the wealthiest communities outside of Fairfield County (which is closer to NYC).

If you scroll down on this link you can see the educational attainment of Branford. About 36% have a HS diploma or less but on the flip side 64% have some sort of degree. You can see the breakdown. East Haven has 52% HS diploma or less (48% with some sort of degree) so they are a little less educated.
//www.city-data.com/city/Branford-Connecticut.html
//www.city-data.com/city/East-H...nnecticut.html

It seems like there are more single people in Branford and East Haven too.
East Haven now married 48%
Branford now married 55%
Guilford now married 66% (wealthier town that borders Branford)
Madison now married 70% (wealthier town that borders Guilford)

Here is one of the reasons I want to move to Branford. They have "Woofstock". That is so cool. Gotta love a town that has a Woofstock.
Hippie Dog Contest

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by CTartist

Milford is great but you probabaly could only afford a one or two bedroom condo there.

Nah, there are LOTS of small ranches and bungalows in the mid 200's. Between homes that were built for returning vets from WW2 and little beach houses, Milford has a really diverse housing stock from small and modest to million+.

Right now there are 87 single family homes for sale between 200-275k.

I would recommend Branford over East Haven in a heartbeat.

[kidyankee764]

Good info by CTartist. If I were to move back to the CT shore, I’d be in Branford. I do miss it there. A lot would have to change in CT both politically and socially for that to happen, though that’s another thread.

Originally Posted by Stylo

I would recommend Branford over East Haven in a heartbeat.

Don’t totally discount East Haven. There are many beautiful and quiet neighborhoods in the city, and the shoreline communities are close to perfect.

[East of the River]

Eastern CT or Hartford region would work fine.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Nah, there are LOTS of small ranches and bungalows in the mid 200's. Between homes that were built for returning vets from WW2 and little beach houses, Milford has a really diverse housing stock from small and modest to million+.

Right now there are 87 single family homes for sale between 200-275k.

I would recommend Branford over East Haven in a heartbeat.

Stylo is correct. I read the OP's first post incorrectly and thought she/he wrote budget of $200,000. Milford is another nice town and they do have quite a few houses in the $250,000 range. But you will get more or your money in Branford. Milford is a bit too hectic for me but you might not think so. Milford is another good place to look, it's very safe. Nice beaches too.

[GeoffD]

Full disclosure for financial planning purposes. Branford has a $28.47 mill rate. In Connecticut, you pay property tax on 70% of the value of your house. A $250K house will have a $5K property tax bill. Pay attention to the property tax on automobiles. It's very high. Energy costs are high. You want to make sure you understand what it will cost to heat your house, particularly if it is an older one that doesn't have a tight thermal envelope. Branford is Southern Connecticut Gas with a web portal where you give them the address and they tell you if you have natural gas. Make sure any house you look at has access. Oil vs gas often has a very big price gap.


Someone from Colorado is going to have a very different life experience with property tax rates, energy costs, and automobile ownership costs. If you're going into this with "I can afford $x per month", it's not just a mortgage payment. Also, the housing stock in the northeast is ancient. In Colorado, you'd pretty much always be looking at a newer house. In Branford, you have to assume you'll have far higher maintenance costs. That 1950 house in Branford could have a lot of expensive repairs that would be hard to find when the professional engineer does the inspection. I've certainly lived that a few times with older houses in New England.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Full disclosure for financial planning purposes. Branford has a $28.47 mill rate. In Connecticut, you pay property tax on 70% of the value of your house. A $250K house will have a $5K property tax bill. Pay attention to the property tax on automobiles. It's very high. Energy costs are high. You want to make sure you understand what it will cost to heat your house, particularly if it is an older one that doesn't have a tight thermal envelope. Branford is Southern Connecticut Gas with a web portal where you give them the address and they tell you if you have natural gas. Make sure any house you look at has access. Oil vs gas often has a very big price gap.


Someone from Colorado is going to have a very different life experience with property tax rates, energy costs, and automobile ownership costs. If you're going into this with "I can afford $x per month", it's not just a mortgage payment. Also, the housing stock in the northeast is ancient. In Colorado, you'd pretty much always be looking at a newer house. In Branford, you have to assume you'll have far higher maintenance costs. That 1950 house in Branford could have a lot of expensive repairs that would be hard to find when the professional engineer does the inspection. I've certainly lived that a few times with older houses in New England.

Your calculation of the taxes on a $250,000 home in Branford is not necessarily correct. You are assuming that a $250,000 home has an assessed value (the home value used by towns to calculate property taxes) of $250,000 which is not accurate. The home price and the assessed value are rarely the same. The best way for the OP to know the taxes to look at the taxes that are commonly part of the real estate listings. From what I see, homes in Branford that are listed at $250,000 have taxes in the mid-$4,000 range with a few going up to $5,000.

I am also not sure I agree with you contention that the housing stock in Branford is older and therefore more expensive to maintain than Colorado. Denver is a pretty big and older city that has a lot of older housing stock just like Connecticut. A home from 1950 does not necessarily have any more repairs or pricier repairs and maintenance than a home built in the 1980's. It all depends on how well the home was constructed and maintained over the years. I believe that Colorado has a lot more mass-constructed tract homes than Connecticut does, so the chances are a home bought here would be better built and in need of less repairs and maintenance than a home there. Of course that is subjective though.

You are correct that there are cost of living differences between Colorado and Connecticut. In general Connecticut is more expensive. According to the CNN-Money Cost of Living calculator, overall New Haven is about 5% higher than Denver. The OP should be well aware of the cost differences so they are not surprised when they move here. There are a number of calculators that could assist them in this comparison including the CNN-Money calculator linked below. Jay

Cost of living: How far will my salary go in another city? - CNNMoney