The 10 Worst Places To Live In Connecticut For 2024


The worst places to live in Connecticut are Waterbury and Hartford for 2024 based on Friday Night Science.

Connecticut is the central hub for New England. A semi-wealthy enclave where the rich `Summer’ and everyone else does whatever Connecticut people do.

It’s a pretty nifty state.

But is it all roses there? Definitely not. This article aims to determine, using science, the worst places to live there. Don’t shoot the messenger, this is all using data.

After analyzing all 21 cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst places to live in Connecticut:


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Worst Places To Live In Connecticut For 2024

  1. Waterbury
  2. Hartford
  3. Bridgeport
  4. New Haven
  5. Danbury
  6. New Britain
  7. Meriden
  8. Norwich
  9. Ansonia
  10. New London

Worst Places To Live In Connecticut Map

Where are these places, you wonder? And before you get all riled up and say we’re picking on small towns in Connecticut, that’s not the case.

We understand there’s a lot of good in every place. For example, the best place to live in Connecticut is Shelton.

However, according to data (which doesn’t measure things like beauty and ‘friendly people’), the state has far better options for making a place home. And the worst place to live in Connecticut? The worst place to live in Connecticut is Waterbury.

Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your city fared in 2024.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

For more Connecticut reading, check out:

The 10 Worst Places To Live In Connecticut For 2024

Waterbury, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Daniel Case, Grossus | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 114,480
Average Home Price: $232,478
Median Income: $51,451
Unemployment Rate: 9.8%
Crime Per Capita: 0.0323
More on Waterbury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Waterbury has the nickname “Brass City.” This comes from the town’s history as a production center for brass castings and finishings. These days, high-paying manufacturing jobs are hard to find. The resulting economic troubles have made Waterbury the number 1 least appealing place in Connecticut.

The unemployment rate in the area runs a lofty 9.8%. As a result, 21.9% of the population struggle below the poverty line. These economic challenges impact other aspects of the community. For instance, the crime rate runs about 30% above the national average.

Not everything in Waterbury is terrible. As a sizable city, the area offers numerous urban attractions. There are also many cultural highlights, like the Mattatuck Museum.

Hartford, CT

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 121,057
Average Home Price: $171,873
Median Income: $41,841
Unemployment Rate: 10.6%
Crime Per Capita: 0.0303
More on Hartford: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Hartford is a crucial city in Connecticut. It serves as the state’s capital and one of its largest cities. Unfortunately, it also counts as one of state’s worst hometowns.

The 121,057 residents of Hartford face an unemployment rate of 10.6%. The median income is a modest $41,841. Despite this, housing in the area remains expensive, with a median home value of $171,873. Hartford also has high crime and mediocre schools.

Still, there are benefits to living in the area. As a reasonably large urban area, it offers a lot of city amenities. If you want a more historical perspective, check out the State Capitol, located near Bushnell Park.

Bridgeport, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Magicpiano | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 148,470
Average Home Price: $305,486
Median Income: $54,440
Unemployment Rate: 9.5%
Crime Per Capita: 0.0165
More on Bridgeport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

If you live in Connecticut, you may or may not be surprised that Bridgeport ranked, at least on paper, as the 3rd worst place to live in the state. It has almost the highest unemployment rate in the state, and it’s almost the most dangerous.

And if weather matters, Bridgeport is one of the worst spots, based on rain, snow, sunny days and humidity.

Incidentally, Bridgeport is the 2most densely populated city in Connecticut. Draw your own conclusions.

New Haven, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Versageek | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 135,736
Average Home Price: $279,194
Median Income: $54,305
Unemployment Rate: 7.8%
Crime Per Capita: 0.0367
More on New Haven: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

New Haven has a long history, stretching at least as far back as city’s founding in 1638. It remains an important location today, with a population of 135,736. Still, the people of New Haven face significant challenges. It ranks as the number 4 least inviting place to put down roots in Connecticut.

Poverty and crime represent the biggest problems with life in New Haven. Residents face a 7.8% unemployment rate and a 25.3% poverty level. Meanwhile, the crime rate runs nearly 90% above the U.S. norm.

Of course, there are a lot of positive aspects to life in New Haven. The long history lends significant charm to this scenic coastal spot. It also serves as home of Yale University.

Danbury, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Dj1998d | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 86,456
Average Home Price: $431,374
Median Income: $79,983
Unemployment Rate: 6.0%
Crime Per Capita: 0.0146
More on Danbury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

A lot of towns in Connecticut have cute nicknames, mostly derived from their manufacturing heydays. Danbury is no different. Just call it “Hat City.”

Of course, the type of hats that earned Danbury its name went out of style in the middle of last century (check out black-and-white movies if you want a glimpse of what we mean). Still, the town has transitioned to the 21st century pretty well, with solid economy and a crime rate 45% below the national average.

The problem? Danbury has gotten expensive. The standard of living is now 30% above the national average. This includes a median home price of $431,374. This affordability issue makes Danbury the number 5 hardest place in Connecticut to live.

New Britain, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Bmr1987 | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 74,212
Average Home Price: $251,760
Median Income: $53,766
Unemployment Rate: 8.9%
Crime Per Capita: 0.0241
More on New Britain: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

New Britain has a long history as a manufacturing hub. It still serves as the headquarters of Stanley Black & Decker and sports the nickname “Hardware City.” However, this has limits. In reality, a lackluster job market makes New Britain the number 6 least enticing location in Connecticut.

The unemployment rate in town sits at 8.9%, while the poverty rate comes in at 19.7%. At the same time, the area’s educational system leaves a lot to be desired.

There are bright spots in town as well. The quaint town includes a beautiful downtown area and Walnut Hill Park, a park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the same man who created Central Park in New York City.

Meriden, CT

Source: Wikipedia User John Phelan | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 60,556
Average Home Price: $266,816
Median Income: $63,671
Unemployment Rate: 8.4%
Crime Per Capita: 0.0263
More on Meriden: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Nestled between the regional cities of New Haven and Hartford, Meriden, Connecticut has unfortunately earned a reputation as one of the worst places to live in the state. While there is potential for improvement, the city currently faces significant challenges in terms of safety and crime. With a violent crime rate of 217 incidents per year, including instances of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, residents may feel uneasy about their personal security. Additionally, the property crime rate stands at a concerning 1,276 incidents annually, including burglaries.

However, it’s important to note that Meriden’s issues aren’t insurmountable. By addressing crime prevention strategies and fostering community engagement, there is hope for a safer future. Ideally located within New Haven County, Meriden offers access to amenities and opportunities in nearby cities. With concerted efforts to improve safety measures and support economic growth, Meriden can work towards shedding its reputation as one of the worst places to live in Connecticut and create a more promising environment for its residents.

Norwich, CT

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 40,054
Average Home Price: $243,007
Median Income: $62,713
Unemployment Rate: 7.0%
Crime Per Capita: 0.0197
More on Norwich: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Ansonia, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Milfordwoman | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 18,954
Average Home Price: $318,783
Median Income: $67,474
Unemployment Rate: 9.9%
Crime Per Capita: 0.0208
More on Ansonia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Situated along the Naugatuck River, Ansonia was a critical manufacturing center in the 19th century. These days, its 18,954 residents face an uncomfortable mix of economic conditions: a sluggish job market and an expensive cost of living.

First, let’s look at the job situation. The unemployment rate sits at an elevated 9.9%. Second, there’s the cost of living. That figure sits about 20% above the U.S. norm, due largely to a median home price that hovers at $318,783.

Still, you get some value with your home in Ansonia. New York City is just an hour and a half away. Yet, you can enjoy a more picturesque setting, like hikes in any of the numerous local parks.

New London, CT

Source: Wikipedia User | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 27,596
Average Home Price: $260,757
Median Income: $56,237
Unemployment Rate: 7.1%
Crime Per Capita: 0.0193
More on New London: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

New London rose to prominence as a whaling port in the 19th century. You know Moby Dick? That’s the kind of venture that would take off from New London. Of course, there are not many people chasing white whales these days. Economic stagnation has made this one of the worst places to live in Connecticut.

New London’s 27,596 residents suffer with a 7.1% and a 21.5% poverty rate. It’s also hard to afford a place in town, with a cost of living about 10% higher than the national average and the median home price sitting at $260,757.

New London has its charms. The whaling ships may be gone, but the city is still built by the sea, giving access to beaches and other water attractions.

Methodology: How we determined the worst places to live in Connecticut for 2024

To figure out the worst places to live in Connecticut, we used Saturday Night Science to idenift what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that people like the following things:

  • Good education
  • Lots of jobs
  • Low crime
  • Low poverty
  • Nice homes
  • High incomes
  • High population density (Lots of things to do)
  • Short work commutes
  • Health insurance

The data comes from the Census’s most recent American Community Survey and the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

We broke crime down into violent crime and property crime to give violent crime a more significant weight. If you did a simple calculation of all crimes per capita, property crimes are typically 7x more common and bias that ranking.

Furthermore, only cities with at least 9,000 people were considered — leaving 21 cities.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 21 for all the criteria, with a #1 ranking being the worst for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the rankings into one “Worst Place To Live Score.”

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Worst Place To Live Score,” with the lowest score being the worst city in Connecticut — Waterbury. Read on for a detailed look at the ten worst cities in Connecticut. This article is an opinion based on facts meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024. This list is our tenth time ranking the worst places to live in Connecticut.

Summary: Wrapping Up The Worst In Connecticut

If you’re looking at areas in Connecticut with the worst economic situations, where there’s higher than average crime and little to do, this is an accurate list.

And in the end, Waterbury ranks as the worst city to live in Connecticut for 2024.

The worst cities in Connecticut are .

If you’re curious enough, here are the best cities to live in Connecticut:

  1. Middletown (Pop. 48,152)
  2. Milford (Pop. 50,664)
  3. Shelton (Pop. 41,206)

For more Connecticut reading, check out:

Worst Places To Live In Connecticut

Rank City Population Unemployment Rate Home Price Median Income Crime Per Capita
1 Waterbury 114,480 9.8% $232,478 $51,451 0.0323
2 Hartford 121,057 10.6% $171,873 $41,841 0.0303
3 Bridgeport 148,470 9.5% $305,486 $54,440 0.0165
4 New Haven 135,736 7.8% $279,194 $54,305 0.0367
5 Danbury 86,456 6.0% $431,374 $79,983 0.0146
6 New Britain 74,212 8.9% $251,760 $53,766 0.0241
7 Meriden 60,556 8.4% $266,816 $63,671 0.0263
8 Norwich 40,054 7.0% $243,007 $62,713 0.0197
9 Ansonia 18,954 9.9% $318,783 $67,474 0.0208
10 New London 27,596 7.1% $260,757 $56,237 0.0193
11 Derby 12,373 6.1% $294,531 $69,835 0.0337
12 Norwalk 91,050 5.9% $560,154 $97,879 0.0186
13 West Haven 55,336 7.9% $302,368 $72,827 0.0218
14 Stamford 135,413 5.5% $611,989 $100,718 0.0138
15 Naugatuck 31,653 5.5% $295,263 $91,145 0.0127
16 Torrington 35,510 5.8% $247,430 $66,616 0.0110
17 Groton 9,364 6.1% $374,397 $64,611 0.0106
18 Bristol 61,052 6.6% $286,446 $82,094 0.0138
19 Middletown 48,152 4.7% $302,920 $75,120 0.0170
20 Milford 50,664 4.3% $444,403 $104,503 0.0252
21 Shelton 41,206 5.5% $484,367 $112,366 0.0099
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

47 thoughts on “The 10 Worst Places To Live In Connecticut For 2024

  1. This is crazy, a joke, or just both! South Woodstock is not a town or a city, neither is East Brooklyn. South Woodstock literally touches three of the most beautiful areas in northeast CT, but with more amenities than surrounding towns. Convenient, quaint, and historical, it is more expensive due to the aforementioned and the amazing school system. In defense of Putnam, it’s one of the up and coming towns winning statewide recognition for food, antiques, shopping, and fun and THREE MILES from “South Woodstock”, you better check your stats and sources! hahaha!

  2. I think this list is highly inaccurate. Woodstock, Putnam, Killingly and Brooklyn are very nice towns to live in. I don’t think all of your scientific factors used are neccisarily negatives. instead you should look at factors that involve education, culture, and quality of life.

    1. This is absurd! Families move to Woodstock, build or buy “nice” homes, mainly for the highly rated educational system which is located, geographically, in South Woodstock although Woodstock Academy is considered Woodstock. Someone just wanted to write for the sake of writing , not bothering to gather any facts, but the disclaimer did mention something about just an opinion! Oh, well.

  3. Why isn’t Willimantic on this list?? If you’re looking for unemployment, drug use, and poverty, start there. The quiet towns mentioned like killingly, Brooklyn and Woodstock are great communities! We may not have big city clubs for entertainment value, but our agriculture and historical sites are world renowned. No, we don’t have big city life, and we like it that way. As far as crime, drugs, poverty, and bad education are concerned, stay away from Hartford, Willimantic, and wauregan.

  4. Westbrook’s town center is a dump. The only nice building is the Walgreen’s building and that is saying something in itself. There are very few nice houses in that town.

    1. You have no idea what you are talking about. I am 14th generation Westbrook resident! Beautiful town and houses. Many historic and many new high end houses…large range!!

    2. If you think Walgreens is the nicest building on the Westbrook town green, you clearly don’t belong in this area. Go enjoy yourself in some low-class, overpopulated town that has demolished all the beautiful historic buildings.

    3. that is the most hideous building in the town center, where are you from Long Island? That’s the only building that pops out as oversized and prefab compared to the rest which are historic New England. Westbrook use to be a hidden gem and now it’s become built up and people flock to it for their great schools. It’s smack in the middle of the golden shoreline, if you can stay with me here…Fairfield county sucks, oh such fun that area is(congestion, trust fun bums, losers) and new London which is cool but rough. Fairfield, new haven, and new London all have sea ports=nasty. Westbrook is one town over from old saybrook which butts up to the CT River which does NOT have a seaport because of old blue laws. ITS THE NICEST CALMEST HUCK FIN ADVENTOUROUS TOWN IN CT! Now don’t go making fun of Bills Seatood for serving food on paper plates I’ll scream! Read the reviews of Bills on Yelp they’re so funny, I love that Westbrook is semi rustic and deters most preppy tool bags, that’s what Fairfield county is for oh what great fun, land of the fake, yes johny is taking cricket lessons

      1. I’m from long island and want to move to CT. Can you tell me if this article is correct about Waterbury as I found a few houses their I love but have read many articles like this saying it’s a bad area with a lot of crime.

        1. The mill rate in Waterbury is 60, one of the highest in the state, you’ll be taxed to death and it will push your mortgage payment up to a point that you will only qualify for a lower cost home and not the ones you’d expect to get, better off going to outskirts of Waterbury

        2. We also have the beaches and best marinas! The downtown you speak of is very old and historic! Can you afford to live there or are you just mad you can’t afford it? LOL

        3. Waterbury is a cesspool! House being nice doesn’t matter when you consider the rest of the town – arghhhh! It will never have any resale value either. I grew up in Danbury on the Brookfield line, where it was absolutely beautiful. Downtown used to be so cute & quaint with genuine cobblestone streets (many of my relatives lived on Deerhill Ave, though pricey & huge homes, I remember the old horse tie ups in front where there are now sidewalks). Danbury went south – way south in the downtown area when a lot of the new, lesser income immigrants moved in & never could be bothered maintaining the properties down there, & it all went downhill from there. Such a shame. Brookfield area (& Danbury over there) is still beautiful, but the more people that move in, the more it’s being built up & all the open spaces/ land is disappearing. Waterbury definitely doesn’t even compare & you had better keep all your doors locked all of the time, and well as never venture out – esp at night. Bridgeport is also the scourge of CT & just as bad as Hartford, New Haven, Wtby, Naugatuck, Norwalk, the list goes on – but I’ll say that those are also big cities with big populations that can’t afford to live anywhere decent in CT (& im not talking snooty New Canaan, Greenwich, etc either)…. Derby is another nasty, filthy & very backwoods, if you can follow me on that – despite it being right next to Newtown, which defending on what part, can also be very rich in one place, commercialized in another like along Rt 25. Wherever you choose, I would highly recommend taking a drive through wherever h maybe stay for the weekend while exploring… everything should become more evident that way, esp at night. New Milford (we used to call New Mildew when kids), used to be kinda of backwoods, but in the last decade a LOT of NY’ers have moved in since Fairfield County is so expensive & running out of room. Despite some of the older eyesores from decades past, there are a ton of $800k house communities popping up everywhere inbtwn more avg homes usually with a price tag ranging around $400k (of course there are many older ones a little cheaper, but definitely require a bit of an overhaul) & the lake that stretches from Danbury thru New Milford to Sherman & New Fairfield always provides something to do regardless of season (if you like that laid back lifestyle, which is how we grew up). So all in all, I’d stay away big time from Wtby & the nearby and bigger towns/ cities…

    4. That comment is clearly made by someone who is not familiar with Westbrook’s wealth. Some of the most expensive homes on the shore/State are owned by private beach residents as well as the private communities that are tucked near the town forests. Please be competent when insulting places you cannot afford to reside yourself 🙂

  5. F the sox and f the patriots go giants ! Knew this article was crap when you opened with those teams. Nobody should like them f Boston

  6. I grew up in Seymour, a lot of the “empty homes” are new constructions. Seymour is a beautiful peaceful town with farms, horses, larger homes and high end living. Its mostly wooded, not a lot of crime, beautiful remodeled schools, affordable apartments, shopping centers. Recreational centers, great parks for kids, exellent down town landscaping, a center for both the Hoisatonic and the Naugatuck river and beautiful springs and waterfalls. It has miles of hiking trails and acres of reserved forestry. It has a beautiful antique district with historic buildings and small shops and it has newer retail facilities SBD its a developing town. It hosts tons of festivals and parades like its famous Pumpkin Festival…. I grew up there, it was amazing. The best town to raise your family if you want a beautiful rural community.

  7. This is an example of how not to use science. Speaking as a resident, familiar with much of the state, your analysis, however well grounded in data it may be, is complete bunk. For example, putting Georgetown on a list of the worst places to live in Connecticut is hilarious, and you cite the comparatively “low” median household salary — then you compare it to Hartford, a city literally 100 times the size with a fraction of the median household income.

    Also, how can you compare weather from town to town with a straight face? It’s one of the smallest states in the union.

  8. There is no better town to grow up in than Seymour CT! Such a great pedestrian downtown of independent restaurants and historic buildings, with some fine art galleries and antique shops. So many beautiful neighborhoods of Victorian and colonial homes, mostly in good repair, much of it with sidewalks. Parks are close to almost every neighborhood, there are many small woods to explore as kids or adults. The schools are excellent, the teachers care and the buildings are updated. The people are nice, many of them have lived here for many decades. The Naugatuck and Housatonic rivers provide fine recreation and scenery, including the new fish ladder at the Falls. My favorite town in the world, the place of my happy childhood back then and of my nieces’ and nephews’ happy childhood now.

    The author of this article has done absurd “research” using criteria that obviously do not yield real-world measure of quality of life. And if he indeed did all that supposed research, why not publish the tabulated data and cite the sources –not because it would make his absurd conclusions correct, but at least prove you did the research and let it be seen so the obviously bad methodology can be critiqued and understood for the mis-measure it is.

  9. I’m from Bridgeport and yes our taxes are high but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Bridgeport is improving for the better no matter what you think. Where else in Connecticut can you enjoy the zoo, the beach, multiple parks, free outdoor music every week in the summer,out door movie nights, arts festivals, vibes, the theater, catch the ferry and so much more!!!! I am tired of everyone talking about Bridgeport, there are worst places to live.

  10. This author is simply dead wrong. At least about Westbrook. Westbrook is one of the best kept secrets. I also find his math flawed. Percentages in different populations are totally different. According to his article, Westbrook has about 2200 people living in it and about 25% of houses are vacant. That’s a little over 500 house (which I’m not sure I believe). But there is a town with about 25,000 people. 25% of that would be 6,000 house. My point is that you can’t compare Westbrook to most towns because the population is so small. As for crime, I haven’t heard of any. NOT ANY! I’m wondering if he is counting all the shoplifting from travelers visiting the Westbrook Outlets. Or maybe traffic violations?? I simply cannot figure out where his crime figure came from. This is one of the safest places to be. The green is small, but the community events held there are top notch! I grew up in Madison (top 10 town) and Westbrook feels pretty much the same. This guy needs to do more research!

    1. I agree! Grew up in Madison as well, Lol you are exactly right! Best hidden gem on shoreline, love the ride on route 1 passing all the beautiful boats and fresh air, tiny but, special. People are super friendly and tourists can’t say enough, come back every year that says a lot!!

  11. Wrong! Yes, downtown Danielson and parts of Dayville are crappy, but my side of Dayville heading up 101 towards RI is beautiful. This article is ridiculous and if having a long commute is all you got, that’s pathetic. There are many other towns I can think of that are much worse.

  12. Your analysis is flawed. The population of the town is roughly 6,500 people. There are vacant homes here due to “summer residents” and snowbirds. The town shuts the water off in November to many of these beach front shanties. Housing prices are high due to consumer demand.
    Why not base your analysis off how many stop lights Westbrook has or the tonnage of fish caught. Both seem more plausible than your method. Somewhere in Durham North Carolina a car salesman is trying to appear as a statistician.

  13. Interesting article. As someone who just moved from the shoreline to happening and hip Durham, NC I have to agree that these towns are pretty lame. I spent years traveling around many of the towns mentioned and although they are mostly physically beautiful there isn’t much going on economy wise, culturally and there is pervasive small town mentality that was very limiting for us.

    I don’t know about his statistics or whether he is right or not about crime and vacant houses but I do know that on our street there half the people lived there for only a few months in the summer making the neighborhood dead and bleak for the rest of the year.
    We were glad to leave and do not miss it, beauty and all.

  14. Terribly misinformed article with incorrect data.

    Want crappy CT towns? Try Willimantic, New London, or Hartford. The only one I agree with is Bridgeport.

    Killingly? Westbrook? Woodstock? Uh.. Those are actually pretty well-off towns. Wonder what the author is smoking.

  15. Given that Georgetown lies in four towns—Wilton, Redding, Ridgefield and Weston—and is a postal designation, but not a taxing district, you might want to re-examined your statistics.

  16. Why is low population density negative? That makes no sense at all. Also, Westbrook is a wonderful place and highly desirable. If I was rating articles, this one would be in the Top 10 worst list.

  17. Nick James, your “scientific analysis” is laughable. You have census-designated areas mentioned that aren’t even towns. Low population density as a negative value? Well then Dhaka Bangladesh must be heaven on earth! How does population density equate to a higher standard of living? Moreover, how the hell is Waterbury not on this list?

    My personal 5 worst (I’ll spare Bridgeport as it’s been beaten up enough), in no particular order:

    1. New Britain
    2. Waterbury
    3. Derby
    4. Hartford
    5. Willimantic

    Nick, you know nothing about CT and your article is garbage. Please throw yourself under a bus.

    Love,
    Concerned CT Citizen

  18. This article seems to be geared on the premise that old equals boring and that a town without a nightlife is boring. Many “older” people are more active than younger people between working and volunteer activities. They are engaged in what they do and are outside of themselves. You see young people on a date and they are each on their various devices rather than concentrating on each other. Whoop dee do!

  19. Any list for lousy CT town that doesnt have Waterbury at the top of it is crap. Did Waterbury buy their removal from this list? For heavens sake, the reason why Route 8 was even built was so people could leave Waterbury.

  20. This is one of the worst articles i have read in some time. The reasons and justifications for these places being the “worst” places to live, is laughable. Lets be blunt here, what makes a town/city a bad place to live? Crime and poverty. Not having places to go out, is not a valid point for making a town “a bad places to live”. The list should look like this, based on crime, poverty, urban blight and quality of life.
    1. Hartford
    2.Bridge-Port
    3.New Haven
    4.New Britain
    5.Meriden/Waterbury (tie)

    These are all places with rich history, but unfortunately are havens for drugs and violence. It is a brutal truth that i hope changes one day. These cities are just like all those around the country, the ones you see in the movies are right down the street from me and you.

  21. I have lived most of my life in Killingly, in fact I moved to Leicester, MA for close to 10 years and moved back to Killingly. My wife loves the sense of community in the northeast connecticut, when we moved here it was the land of Pizza joints, no coffee shops, Ocean State Job lot was the only place to shop, beside a few local businesses. Now the area has a large mall in dayville, and a few smaller, gyms, and even though the downtown is run down with very few businesses, it’s a great place to live. I worked outside if Boston, so the commute was long, but the great part of living in Northeast is you are less than 60 miles or less of the 3 state capitals. Unemployment is common in the area with low wages, but as stated you are in a tri-state area so most folks work out of town. Crime is petty and non violent. The area is quiet, hence it’s nickname “Quiet Corner” agree with most replies that you do not know what you are talking about, and if you lived in the area you might be able to enjoy the quiet where you can concealed in writing a great article, rather than the trash you threw out on us.

  22. Given the fact that Georgetown doesn’t even touch Danbury, and is like 10 minutes from it, and is a village not even a town, and the majority is located in Wilton, a beautiful town you may want to get your facts corrected.

  23. As an outsider just touring around the area for an escape of Providence, I have to say this article is off by a long shot. Those of us mid lifers with families love the qualify of life out here. Pomfret, Woodstock, Brooklyn, even killingly and Danielson are in there too. There is some rural beauty out here. A great county fair and small town atmosphere are not a bad thing at all. As far as work goes, people around here all travel to other places in RI, MA, and so on. So what? Then they retreat back to the goodness and serenity of the country? There is all the stores you need in Killingly, Lisbon, or anywhere else you want to travel to. RI is a hop skip and jump away? Taxes are cheap, a lot of house for the money, and up and coming place too? Crime is Wauregan, Norwich, and the others mentioned above. Statistics are subjective at best. CT has beautiful green valleys this Rhode Islander would love to own! Now, do an article on how horrible Rhode Island is, ILL HELP YOU WITH IT. Leave CT alone its cost effective and motorcycle friendly, woods and fairs and friendly country folks too! Much respect my CT neighbors you have a beautiful place!

  24. We have more citizens moving into Willimantic than out….More businesses moving into Willimantic than out……..Local university in Willimantic continues to receive accolades from those organizations grading colleges and universities.

    Most agree that one of Willimantic’s charm is that it is authenic.

    Willimantic is where “history meets the arts”.

  25. Niantic, Connecticut should of been on the list as one of the worst towns. They have the most cold heartless stuck up ritzy people in Connecticut. I was just told to stop walking across a lawn today by some b*tch. I walk across a small part of it cause it’s dangerous to walk on the street.

  26. Bob Apples – I love your response, and I agree. I love Westbrook, and jealous I don’t live there. I love Bills, though I hear it’s better in the fall. I’m just jealous I don’t live there.

  27. Yes I will agree buying a house in New Britain does not make economic sense. The elementary schools are not the best, but the high school is a really good school. As far as crime, I don’t know where they are getting there facts, but New Britain is not unsafe. I’ve been here for a long time and I have never had any problems. With our young hard working mayor, this city has a lot of pride again. Downtown is coming back. Our parks are second to none. Our hospital is excellent. CCSU is a great place for higher education. Traffic is no problem, and we can get to anywhere in the state in under an hour. Why not visit some of these communities before you slander them?!

  28. I’m from long island and want to move to CT. Can
    anyone native to the area tell me if this article is correct about Waterbury. I found a few houses their I love but have read many articles like this saying it’s a bad area with a lot of crime.

  29. While New Haven is not a entertainment mecca, they have many museums, restaurants, events, and other things to do, more than most of the other cities in CT.

  30. I totally agree with the list, I hate and love Westbrook, I love the people there as I grew up in the area but I hate their way of thinking! Youll really have a hard time if you’re not from the city and just moved there!

  31. Well, this ought to keep the population down in Connecticut. It’s not full of “the whole world wanting to come here” the way Boston and New York think they are. I found a $9.00 ticket from Boston to New Haven and I’m going to take it. I’m going back to Yale. I love Massachusetts, don’t get me wrong, but I hate Boston; I can never get a JOB here even though technically there are more jobs here than New Haven. Maybe just “not for a Yalie who graduated in 1996.”

  32. Torrington is a horrible place, huge population of heroin addicts, terrible schools, awful weather and useless police that abuse overtime and waste taxpayers money. The taxes are also vile, 46% mill rate and no return on property ownership. Perfect example of why to leave Connecticut, don’t waste your time here unless you aspire to nothing.

  33. Amazing how Danbury is 8th on the WORST places in CT AND they ALSO have it ranked 8th on their BEST places in CT….. unbelievable!!!

  34. Ex Connecticut person here and I just came for the comments from the snobby flock that lives in that God forsaken state who are trying to protect their real estate prices.

    Seriously, the only state where you’ll here someone with this comeback “you’re just mad because you can’t afford to live here.”

    Seriously, no one wants to live there. You get born into it, and then you leave or rot.

    Bunch of children and the laughing stock of New England and the tristate area.

    Your governor will continue to break the state down, and you’ll keep voting for him. Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven will get worse, and industry will continue to flee.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *