What stands out worked out from the figures below

West Haven has the most renters (49.4% rent).

Brookfield has the highest household income ($148k).

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	West Haven	Brookfield
People
Population	55,351Highest	17,706Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	0% CT: +0.9%	—
Median age	35.8±1.5Lowest 13% below CT	44.3±1.8Highest 8% above CT
Kids under 18	20.3%±1.9Lowest CT: 20.2%	22.7%±3Highest CT: 20.2%
	Brookfield and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16%±1.3Lowest CT: 18.5%	18.8%±2.8Highest CT: 18.5%
	Brookfield and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	30.5%Lowest CT: 42.5%	58.3%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	13.6%±1.6Highest CT: 7.1%	4.3%±1.4Lowest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$74,382±$5kLowest 22% below CT	$148,360±$11kHighest 55% above CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$291,700±$9kLowest 20% below CT	$479,700±$24kHighest 31% above CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,442±$43Lowest 3% below CT	$1,892±$183Highest 27% above CT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,941Lowest 4% above CT	$7,594Highest 14% above CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53.4%±5.8Highest CT: 52.6%	35.9%±13.1Lowest CT: 52.6%
	West Haven and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.1%Highest CT: 10%	4.1%Lowest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	50.6%Lowest CT: 66.5%	86.5%Highest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1959Lowest 8 yrs older than CT	1978Highest 11 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 14% below CT	28 minHighest 6% above CT
Work from home	9.2%±1.4Lowest CT: 16%	16.3%±3Highest CT: 16%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#120 of 149 in CT	#67 of 149 in CT
School district	New Haven School District · West Haven School District	Brookfield School District
High school in town	West Haven High School	Brookfield High School
Students per teacherat that high school	15.6Highest	12.7Lowest
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.