Norwalk, Connecticut
Year-round aquatic fun can be found at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Conn., which houses more than 7,000 animals. Getty Images
- StateConnecticut
- CountyFairfield
- Population93,166
Living in Norwalk is all about enjoying the beautiful coastline and ocean at its borders. Located on the northern shore of Long Island Sound, Norwalk is home to some of the state’s best boating spots and public beaches.
Locals celebrate their proximity to the water each year by hosting events like the 45-year-old Norwalk Oyster Festival, which offers, as you’d expect, plenty of oyster eating as well as live music and art on display, and the annual Norwalk Boat Show, where visitors can watch high-speed racing demonstrations, practice paddleboarding or kayaking, and otherwise improve their maritime skills. In the summer, the Sheffield Island Ferry takes passengers a mile out to one of the Norwalk Islands where they can enjoy lighthouse views, walk trails, and hunt for horseshoe crabs. Year-round aquatic fun can be found at the Maritime Aquarium, which houses more than 7,000 animals.
It’s not all salt and sea, though. The SoNo neighborhood provides ample dining and shopping options along with art galleries and studios, which open their doors in August for the SoNo Arts Festival. Kids can expand their minds at the Stepping Stones Museum for Children, while adults can learn more about the area’s 19th-century past at the landmark Lockwood-Mathews Mansion.
While companies like Pepperidge Farm, Xerox, Frontier Communications, and Booking Holdings are headquartered in Norwalk, many residents travel into New York City for both work and pleasure since the Big Apple is only about 50 miles or an hour-long train ride south.—KR
Locals celebrate their proximity to the water each year by hosting events like the 45-year-old Norwalk Oyster Festival, which offers, as you’d expect, plenty of oyster eating as well as live music and art on display, and the annual Norwalk Boat Show, where visitors can watch high-speed racing demonstrations, practice paddleboarding or kayaking, and otherwise improve their maritime skills. In the summer, the Sheffield Island Ferry takes passengers a mile out to one of the Norwalk Islands where they can enjoy lighthouse views, walk trails, and hunt for horseshoe crabs. Year-round aquatic fun can be found at the Maritime Aquarium, which houses more than 7,000 animals.
It’s not all salt and sea, though. The SoNo neighborhood provides ample dining and shopping options along with art galleries and studios, which open their doors in August for the SoNo Arts Festival. Kids can expand their minds at the Stepping Stones Museum for Children, while adults can learn more about the area’s 19th-century past at the landmark Lockwood-Mathews Mansion.
While companies like Pepperidge Farm, Xerox, Frontier Communications, and Booking Holdings are headquartered in Norwalk, many residents travel into New York City for both work and pleasure since the Big Apple is only about 50 miles or an hour-long train ride south.—KR
Town Information
| Median sale price for single family residences (2022) | $564,729 |
| Median household income | $100,222 |
| Racial and ethnic makeup of current residents | Asian: 5.98%, Black: 15.51%, Hispanic: 30.97% |
| Racial and ethnic makeup of U.S. | Asian: 6.1%, Black: 13.6%, Hispanic: 18.9% |
| High school district graduation rate (averages of districts were applied when necessary) | 92.32% |
| Percent of schools serving students in the area that rank "above average" (averages of districts were applied when necessary) | 16% |
| Number of hospitals within 25 miles recommended by over 50% of patients | 20 |
| Number of above-average nursing homes within 50 miles, per 100,000 households | 23 |
| Sharecare Community Well-Being Index Score (out of 100) | 74 |
Sources: ATTOM, U.S. Census Bureau, GreatSchools, Healthgrades, Caring.com, Sharecare