What stands out worked out from the figures below

Redding has the most people working from home (32.5%).

Brookfield has the most affordable homes ($480k median).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Redding	Brookfield
People
Population	8,780Lowest	17,706Highest
Median age	52±2Highest 27% above CT	44.3±1.8Lowest 8% above CT
Kids under 18	19.1%±2.8Lowest CT: 20.2%	22.7%±3Highest CT: 20.2%
	Brookfield and Redding are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	26.4%±3.3Highest CT: 18.5%	18.8%±2.8Lowest CT: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	72.1%Highest CT: 42.5%	58.3%Lowest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.8%±1.8Lowest CT: 7.1%	4.3%±1.4Highest CT: 7.1%
	Brookfield and Redding are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$186,060±$15kHighest 94% above CT	$148,360±$11kLowest 55% above CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$706,300±$33kHighest 93% above CT	$479,700±$24kLowest 31% above CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,101±$304Highest 41% above CT	$1,892±$183Lowest 27% above CT
	Redding and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+Highest at least 51% above CT	$7,594Lowest 14% above CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	64.9%±19.3Highest CT: 52.6%	35.9%±13.1Lowest CT: 52.6%
	Redding and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4%Lowest CT: 10%	4.1%Highest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.6%Highest CT: 66.5%	86.5%Lowest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Lowest 5 yrs newer than CT	1978Highest 11 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	36 minHighest 36% above CT	28 minLowest 6% above CT
Work from home	32.5%±4.9Highest CT: 16%	16.3%±3Lowest CT: 16%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#14 of 149 in CT	#67 of 149 in CT
School district	Redding School District · Regional School District 09	Brookfield School District
High school in town	Joel Barlow High School	Brookfield High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1Lowest	12.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

CT average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.