This Is The Wealthiest Small Town In Connecticut, New Study Says

CONNECTICUT — Wealth can commonly be found in some of the nation's biggest cities, but what about in the small towns?

A new GoBankingRates study that set out to find pockets of wealth in the nation’s quieter communities found that the richest small town in Connecticut - and the second in the nation - is the Noroton neighborhood in Darien. There, the median annual income is $248,125. That's compared to a statewide median income of $91,665 in 2023.

Located in the southwest portion of Darien, Noroton blossomed after the Civil War, as a number of "well-to-do" New Yorkers discovered Darien's shoreline and built summer homes there, according to the town of Darien website.

Noroton's peninsula stretches from I-95 down to Long Island Sound, and features a blend of coastal and suburban living.

The area includes 22-acre Weed Beach, the crown jewel of Darien's parks.

For the study, GoBankingRates analyzed income data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. “Small town” was defined as having between 500 and 15,000 households. Data is current as of May 16, 2023. Alaska wasn’t included because it doesn’t have enough data.

The top five wealthiest small towns in the nation are:

• Orinda, California (median income $248, 984)
• Noroton, Connecticut (median income $248,125)
• Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania (median income $247,930)
• University Park, Texas ($247,045)
• Flower Hill, New York ($246,533)

The least affluent of these wealthy small towns are:

• Shelburne, Vermont (median income $96,976)
• Cassville, West Virginia (median income $105,440)
• Inniswold, Louisiana (median income $106,759)
• Hickman, Nebraska (median income $107,604)
• Helena Valley Northeast, Montana (median income $115,833)

Read More: This CT City Ranks No. 1 for Job Misery—Here’s Why

• CT Fast Food Prices Are Surging—See How They Compare
• Woman Faked Kidnapping After Walmart Theft: Police