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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Woo, Woo. Ridgefield #1 > CT Magazine


Rating the Towns 2011: 15,000-25,000


The top finishers in this population group enjoy the best educational test results in Connecticut, the most robust local economies, the greatest number of cultural and social amenities per capita, and most likely a wonderful feeling of security. The top 10 finishers, from Ridgefield through East Lyme, have a combined population of just under 200,000 and a minuscule average crime rate of 1.9 crimes a year per 1,000 residents. Of course, if you check out the median house price, you’ll see that they pay dearly for all that.

The Numbers We Used


EDUCATION: This category combines five elements: the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Mastery Test results for 4th, 6th and 7th grades; results of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT); local SAT scores for 2008, 2009 and 2010, and the percentage of 2010 public high school graduates who went on to two- or four-year colleges. Test scores are weighted more heavily.

ECONOMY: The strength of the local economy was determined by the 2011 Public Investment Community score, compiled by the Office of Policy and Management, which rates all Connecticut towns under a formula based on population, per capita income, the adjusted equalized grand list per capita, the unemployment rate, the equalized mill rate and per capita aid to children.

COST OF LIVING: This category weighs most heavily the median price of a single-family house purchased in the first six months of 2011, a figure that predicts many other local expenses. The sales figures are provided by The Warren Group.

CRIME: This category is based on major crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor-vehicle theft) committed in 2007, 2008 and 2009 per 1,000 population, the most recent figures available from the state Department of Public Safety.

LEISURE/CULTURE: Includes local library expenditures per capita in 2010, the number of theaters, museums, festivals, concert venues, historic sites, colleges and universities, golf courses, local newspapers, radio stations, state parks and forests, voter turnout in the 2008 election and good local restaurants.

Several towns shifted position in and out of the Top 10. East Lyme leapfrogged both Guilford and Brookfield to grab No. 10. Farmington disappeared into the next most populous group, making way for Stonington to move all the way from No. 14 last time to No. 9. Stonington’s numbers for its schools and library were below par, but the classic coastal town makes up for that in a lot of other ways.

Town
Education
Crime
Economy
Cost
Leisure
Total
1. RIDGEFIELD
4
1
4
29
2
40
2. NEW CANAAN
1
4
1
31
4
41
3. AVON
5
2
5
27
3
42
4. WILTON
2
3
3
30
5
43
5. DARIEN
3
6
2
32
1
44
6. SIMSBURY
6
7
10
23
6
52
7. MADISON
7
13
6
28
7
61
8. SOUTHBURY
9.5
5
11
24
17
66.5
9. STONINGTON
21
9
9
20
8
67
10. EAST LYME
9.5
17
13
18
10
67.5
11. GUILFORD
8
19
7
25
9
68
12. TOLLAND
14
11
18
12
13
68
13. BROOKFIELD
12
10
8
26
18
74
14. ROCKY HILL
18
12
16
17
14
77
15. ELLINGTON
15
14
21
14
15
79
16. BETHEL
16
8
15
21
21
81
17. WATERFORD
19
29
14
8
12
82
18. MONROE
11
15
12
22
24
84
19.COLCHESTER
24
16
23
13
16
92
20. LEDYARD
20
18
24
9
22
93
21. SUFFIELD
13
24
19
19
20
95
22. BERLIN
17
26
20
16
19
98
23. N HAVEN
22
25
17
15
23
102
24. WATERTOWN
28
23
22
7
25
105
25.BLOOMFIELD
32
32
29
4
11
108
26. MONTVILLE
27
22
25
3
31
108
27. PLAINFIELD
29
20
31
2
28
110
28. WOLCOTT
23
21
26
11
32
113
29. PLAINVILLE
25
31
28
6
27
117
30. KILLINGLY
30
30
30
1
26
117
31. SEYMOUR
26
27
27
10
29
119
32. ANSONIA
31
28
32
5
30
126
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