5 Reasons to Move to New Canaan, CT

Are you thinking of living in New Canaan, CT?  New Canaan is a quaint New England town that has it all- trains to NYC, top-ranking schools, and a downtown with a good variety of shops and restaurants.

Reasons to Move to New Canaan, CT

It’s no secret New Canaan is often considered one of the best places to live in Connecticut, here are the reasons why.

1. Downtown New Canaan

New Canaan residents don’t have to venture far for shopping and dining. One of the best things about New Canaan is its downtown. 

Elm Street is a bustling hub of shops and restaurants that cater to just about every taste and craving. 

Whether you’re in the mood for a cozy coffee shop, boutique shopping, or a gourmet dining experience, Elm Street has it all. 

2. Great Schools

For families, New Canaan is a major draw because of its highly rated schools. Niche.com ranks New Canaan schools as the #2 Best School Districts in Connecticut. 

3. Easy Commute to NYC

If you work in NYC, you can live in New Canaan. With not one, but two Metro North train stations conveniently located in town, getting to New York City is easy.

4. Waveny Park

Waveny Park is a 250+ acre park with a town pool, sports fields and trails. 

Waveny Park is also a community hub where many events take place throughout the year. 

5. Kiwanis Beach

While New Canaan may be located inland, it has a beach!  New Canaan residents have Kiwanis Beach which is a man-made swimming pond with a sandy beach.

What’s So Great About Living in New Canaan

New Canaan is a great place to live because of its lively downtown, top-tier schools, commuter-friendly train stations, and beautiful parks, this Connecticut town checks all the boxes for an incredible quality of life!

New Canaan, CT Infographics

New Canaan, CT Infograph

New Canaan is located in Fairfield County, a suburb of New York City with approximately 20,622 people. Like most NYC suburbs, the majority of households in New Canaan consist of families and approximately 29% of the population are children under 18 years old.

New Canaan is an affluent town in Connecticut with a median Income of $190,227. Just under half of the married households in New Canaan are dual-income households while 42% of married households have either a stay at home mom or stay at home dad.

Below you will find useful information if you are thinking of living in New Canaan, CT. The information presented in this article is based on data from the US Census American Community Survey.

What is the population of New Canaan, CT?

The population of New Canaan, CT is approximately 20,622 with a median age of 43.9 years old.

Are New Canaan Residents Well Educated?

80% of New Canaan residents have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. Compare this to overall Connecticut where 39% of CT residents have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher.

Is New Canaan Diverse?

91.1% of New Canaan residents are white, 5% of New Canaan residents are Asians, 5.3% of New Canaan residents are Hispanic and 1.6% of New Canaan residents are African Americans.

Are there a lot of families living in New Canaan?

Most households in New Canaan are families which make up 66.8% of all households. The average family size in New Canaan is 3.33. 29% of New Canaan residents are children under 18 years old and 5.9% of New Canaan residents are under 5 years old.

Are there are lot of Stay at Home Moms in New Canaan?

There are a lot of Stay at Home dad and Stay at Home moms in New Canaan. There are 42.3% of married households in New Canaan with both parents working, 36.6% of married households in New Canaan have Stay at Home Moms and 5.4% of married households in New Canaan have Stay at Home Dads.

Are there are a lot of Singles in New Canaan?

Majority of households in New Canaan consist of married couple household. Married couples represent 66.8% of all households in New Canaan while single households represent 23.6% of all households in New Canaan. Of the single households, 20.8% are singles without kids, 7% are single mom households and 2.7% single dad households.

Is New Canaan Affluent?

New Canaan is an affluent town in Connecticut. It has a median household income of $190,227. Compare this to overall Connecticut where the median household income is $78,444.

How Many Cars do New Canaan Residents own?

26.3% of New Canaan households own 1 car, 43.8% of New Canaan households own 2 cars and 27.3% of New Canaan households own 3 or more cars.

Are there a lot of rentals in New Canaan?

Majority of housing units in New Canaan are owner occupied with 78.8% of homes in New Canaan owner-occupied housing, while only 21.2% of homes in New Canaan are rentals.

How Much Is Rent in New Canaan, CT? 

The median gross rent in New Canaan is $2,228. Compare this to overall Connecticut where the median gross rent is $1,180.

darien metro north parking

What is the Median Home Value in New Canaan, CT?

The Median Home Value of owner-occupied homes in New Canaan is $1,355,800.

What County is New Canaan, CT located in?

New Canaan, CT is in Fairfield County.

How Big is New Canaan, CT?

New Canaan is 22.2 square miles.

How Long is the Average Commute to Work for New Canaan Residents?

The mean travel time to work for New Canaan residents is 42 minutes. Compare this to overall Connecticut where the average time to work is 27 minutes.

What is the Property Tax Rate in New Canaan, CT?

Every town in Connecticut sets its own property tax rate (mill rate). To get New Canaan’s mill rate, check out our article: Connecticut Mill Rates: Town by Town List

How to Calculate Connecticut Property Taxes

Use our Calculator to Compute Your Property Taxes: How to calculate Property taxes in Connecticut?

How to Appeal your Connecticut Property Taxes

How Much is the Real Estate Transfer Tax in Connecticut?

Selling Your Home in Connecticut? Use our Calculator to compute the transfer tax: Connecticut Real Estate Transfer Tax Calculator

Salaries in Connecticut

Are you getting paid enough? What are the Highest Paying Jobs in Connecticut? (Infographs)

How Long is the Average Commute to Work for New Canaan residents?

The average commute to work for New Canaan residents is 41.5 minutes.

Schools in New Canaan, CT

The New Canaan Public School system is often rated as one of the top public school districts in Connecticut.  There are 3 neighborhood elementary schools in New Canaan serving students from Kindergarten to 4th grade.  

The middle school in New Canaan serves 5th grade to 8th grade students. And the New Canaan High school serves students from 9th grade to 12th grade. There are approximately 1200 students in New Canaan High School.

What are the Schools in New Canaan?

School DivisionNew Canaan Schools
Elementary SchoolEast Elementary School
South Elementary School
West Elementary School
Middle SchoolSaxe Middle School
High SchoolNew Canaan High School

Is there School Bus Transportation in New Canaan?

School bus transportation is available for all students attending New Canaan Public school. New Canaan elementary school students who live more than one mile from their elementary school will receive school bus transportation. For New Canaan students attending 6th through 12th grade, school bus transportation is available if the student lives more than 1.5 miles from school.

Preschools in New Canaan, CT

There are a lot of preschool options for New Canaan families. Check out our Guide to Preschools in New Canaan, CT

Which Metro North Train station is closest to New Canaan?

New Canaan residents commuting to NYC usually catch the train from two Metro North train stations- New Canaan Station and Talmadge Hill station.

The commute from New Canaan Metro North train station to Grand Central terminal is approximately 69 minutes. And the commute from Talmadge Hill station to Grand Central Terminal is approximately 64 minutes.

Is there parking at the New Canaan Metro North Train Stations?

Like most towns in Fairfield County, Metro North train station parking is a challenge.  There are multi-year waitlists for parking permits New Canaan Metro-North station.   Check out our Guide to New Canaan Metro-North Train Station Parking.

Parking Permit: There is a waitlist for the monthly parking permits at the New Canaan Metro North train stations.

Daily Parking: Daily parking is available at both stations.  Parking is free of charge on weekends and holidays.

You may also be interested in: How long are the Waitlists for Metro-North Train station parking in Fairfield County, Connecticut?

Is there a Downtown in New Canaan?

New Canaan has a great downtown. There are lots of stores and restaurants on Elm street. Don’t miss New Canaan’s Annual Sidewalk Sale usually held on the third Saturday in July.

Interviews with New Canaan Residents

Living in Stamford and New Canaan, CT- Laura Anne Barbosa

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