3 Connecticut Towns Make 2016 Money Magazine List of Best Places to Live

Three Connecticut communities made the top 50 Money Magazine’s “best places to live” in the country.

Money Magazine takes into account 60 factors, including home affordability, taxes, education, jobs and commute time when making the annual list. Communities have to have a population of at least 50,000 to make the list.

West Hartford ranked 15th, Hamden 38th and Greenwich 40th.

It is common for Greenwich and West Hartford to land near the top on similar lists, but Hamden is a dark horse.

West Hartford ranked as the third best place to live in Connecticut on Niche.com’s 2016 list, and Old Greenwich, Byram and Greenwich (all areas of Greenwich) made the top 20. Hamden placed 63rd on the list.

Several areas in Greenwich including Old Greenwich, Cos Cob and Riverside made Niche.com’s 2016 Best Places to Raise a Family in Connecticut List. West Hartford ranked 18th in the list while Hamden ranked 130th.

Old Greenwich ranked eighth on Niche’s Best Places to Buy a House in Connecticut list, and West Hartford came in at number 12. Hamden came in at 132.

How does it compare to last year?

None of the towns from last year’s list made the 2016 top 50. Simsbury made the list at number nine, Tolland at 34 and Cheshire at 45.

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What Money Magazine Said About West Hartford, Greenwich and Hamden

West Hartford has a median home price of $295,000, property tax of $8,180 and an average commute time of 19 minutes.

Neighborhoods are filled with nice houses, great schools and multiple shopping and eating districts, according to Money Magazine. West Hartford also boasts two public golf courses, a skating rink and pools along with plenty of shopping, restaurants and bars.

>>> More on West Hartford’s rank on the Money Magazine website

Hamden combines picturesque hills and valleys with “A great school system, affordable housing and abundant natural beauty.”

The median home price is $180,000, and the average property tax is $6,496. Money Magazine also said the town has a low crime rate compared to similarly sized cities around the country. It is also home to growing Quinnipiac University.

>>> More on Hamden’s rank on the Money Magazine website

Greenwich made the list due to its top-rated school system, close proximity to New York City and its great local attractions, including the annual international film festival, shopping, beaches and plenty of green space.
The median home price is $953,500, and the average property tax is $14,135.

>>> More on Greenwich’s rank on the Money Magazine website

The Best of the Best: The Best Place to Live in the U.S. Is …

As for the town to top Money Magazine’s list as the best places to live in the U.S., that honor goes to Columbia, Maryland, a planned community with home prices just over $300,000. Rounding out the top five are Eden Prairie, Minnesota; Plano, Texas; West Des Moines, Iowa and Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey.

How Does Your Town Stack Up?

And, just for fun, or again for bragging rights, Money Magazine has created a “How Does Your Town Stack Up?” tool where you can plug in your town and a “rival town” to see which is better.

Perhaps, to compare your hometown with your spouse’s hometown or your current town with a neighboring town.

We suppose it could also be used for practical applications as well — such as finding out which suburban towns have lower property tax rates and median home prices. Money Magazine's “How Does Your Town Stack Up” tool can be accessed here.

What do you think of Money Magazine’s rankings? Comment below.

Additional reporting by Amie Schaenzer (Patch Staff)

Image of Greenwich via PROAimée Pijpers/Flickr Commons