Easton Named Best Small Town by CT Magazine

EASTON, Conn. – Easton now wears the crown as the best small town in the state by Connecticut Magazine.

Easton beat out Redding, which snagged the No. 2 spot in the magazine’s rankings of towns with a population of 6,500 to 10,000 residents. Easton and Redding were the only Fairfield County towns that made the list.

“Neighboring Easton and Redding sit atop this population group like conjoined twins, sharing the Aspetuck River, Route 58, Joel Barlow High School and many of the sweet rewards that come with life in the back hills of Fairfield County,” the article states.

“Both towns enjoy excellent school test results, with scores among the best in Connecticut, joblessness is well below the state average and crime is not a problem.”

In order to compile the list, the authors of the article, Andrew Brady and Patricia Grandjean, compared the quality of public schools, the state of the local economy, the cost of living, the crime rate and local leisure and cultural resources. The best possible rating in each category was 1 and the worst was 24.

For education, Easton took top honors with a rating of 1, in crime it earned a 5, in economy it earned a 2, in leisure it earned a 6 and in cost of living it earned a 24.

“I think this shows that Easton delivers residents with the best value," First Selectman Thomas Herrmann said.

The article found a slight difference in real estate between the two towns. “It takes $580,000 to buy a typical house in Redding, and over $600,000 in Easton,” the article states.

But residents shouldn’t be worried, Herrmann said. “The home value simply reflects a slightly greater appeal for Easton over Redding," he said. 

“All Easton residents should be commended for the role they play in making Easton an attractive place to live,” Herrmann added.

Do you think Easton is the best small town in the state? Let reporter Erin Lynch know at elynch@mainstrteetconnect.us.

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