Compare towns
Wallingford vs Bethany vs New Milford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Connecticut.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wallingford has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Bethany has the highest household income ($166k).
New Milford has the most people working from home (15.1%).
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.
| Measure | Wallingford | Bethany | New Milford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 44,362Highest |
5,288Lowest |
28,334 |
| Median age | 42.6±1.8Highest 4% above CT |
42.5±2.9 3% above CT |
42.1±1.9Lowest about the CT average |
| Wallingford and Bethany are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±1.9Lowest CT: 20.2% |
20.3%±5.9 CT: 20.2% |
21.4%±2.6Highest CT: 20.2% |
| New Milford and Bethany are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.2%±1.7Highest CT: 18.5% |
17.2%±4.2Lowest CT: 18.5% |
17.7%±1.7 CT: 18.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.4%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
58%Highest CT: 42.5% |
41.2% CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±1 CT: 7.1% |
6.8%±3.7Highest CT: 7.1% |
5.1%±1.7Lowest CT: 7.1% |
| Bethany and Wallingford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,773±$5kLowest 9% above CT |
$166,236±$20kHighest 74% above CT |
$106,411±$8k 11% above CT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $353,100±$8kLowest 4% below CT |
$418,000±$42kHighest 14% above CT |
$391,500±$10k 7% above CT |
| Bethany and New Milford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,374±$84Lowest 8% below CT |
— | $1,609±$152Highest 8% above CT |
| New Milford and Wallingford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,963Lowest 10% below CT |
$8,313Highest 25% above CT |
$6,150 7% below CT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.9%±8.9 CT: 52.6% |
0%±100Lowest CT: 52.6% |
57.7%±13.3Highest CT: 52.6% |
| New Milford and Wallingford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.4% CT: 10% |
2.3%Lowest CT: 10% |
7.1%Highest CT: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.8%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
97.2%Highest CT: 66.5% |
80.4% CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972 5 yrs newer than CT |
1970Lowest 3 yrs newer than CT |
1975Highest 8 yrs newer than CT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 8% below CT |
32 minHighest 21% above CT |
30 min 14% above CT |
| Work from home | 13.3%±2 CT: 16% |
12%±5.2Lowest CT: 16% |
15.1%±2.5Highest CT: 16% |
| New Milford and Wallingford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #108 of 149 in CT | #30 of 149 in CT | #110 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Wallingford School District | Bethany School District · Regional School District 05 | New Milford School District |
| High school in town | Lyman Hall High School | None in town | New Milford High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.5Lowest |
— | 11.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.