For most people who can afford it, yes. Guilford grades A− overall, ranked 40th of 151 in Connecticut. It has 156 miles of trail. It is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $138K. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $635K, 7.2 years of the New Haven metro’s $88K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 17 places on the National Register. Guilford’s trail density is 3.2 miles per square mile, where Connecticut’s towns sit at 1.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Its National Register listings include Henry Whitfield House and Guilford Historic Town Center. Guilford's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 91% of U.S. towns.

StrongestA⁺Outdoors AHealth AHistoryWeakestDCost of living

What makes Guilford stand out

Where Guilford beats most towns.

Henry Whitfield House

HistoryA

Settled in 1639

A history going back 387 years.

Conserved land & trails

OutdoorsA⁺

#6 most trails in CT

Henry Whitfield House · National Register of Historic Places

Guilford’s story

387 years in pictures

Henry Whitfield House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1639, comes before those of 93% of the Connecticut towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 4,131 in 1820, a low of 2,576 in 1870, 22,073 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1690 and 5 maps from 1893 on.

17 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1639Guilford is settled

Explore the history →

How Guilford grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Connecticut), ordered by how far Guilford is from typical.

How grading works

Cost of livingDOpen →HealthYale-New Haven Hospital 11.5 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →SchoolsA⁻Open →SafetyB⁺Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.1 of 20; 3% of households have no car; 3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

OutdoorsA⁺Open →History17 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life7.7 library visits per resident; 6.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 51.1; 61% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Yale Bowl and 89 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Guilford. Close and well known come first.

All 150 attractions →

13 mi Stadium & arenaYale Bowl

24 mi Theme parkLake Compounce

30 mi Stadium & arenaPeoplesBank Arena

15 mi State parkGillette Castle State Park

34 mi Stadium & arenaMohegan Sun Arena

12 mi MuseumYale University Art Gallery

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Yale Bowl: Kenneth Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Compounce: Wildcat1 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · PeoplesBank Arena: PeoplesBank Arena, CC BY 2.5 · Gillette Castle State Park: Original uploader was Kevinpepin at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Mohegan Sun Arena: Bbjeter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yale University Art Gallery: Ragesoss, Public domain

Getting set up

Moving to Guilford: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Guilford, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerEversource28.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterCtwc - Shoreline Region-Guilford SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Guilford’s trash rules yet

SchoolsGuilford School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Connecticut you can register online until 18 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 18 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereGuilford Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2019

ZIP code0643706437 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Guilford.

Guilford has less food insecurity than most of Connecticut and is one of Connecticut’s best towns for the outdoors, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Connecticut.

OutdoorsA⁺

Conserved land covers 24.9% of Guilford

Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #3 of 155 in Connecticut.

Lake Gaillard Watershed Reserve Land, at 2,503 acres with 18.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.

#6for trails in CT

24.9%

conserved · 7,885 of 31,643 acres

156 mi

of trails · 3.2 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Lake Gaillard Watershed Reserve Land	18.4 mi	2,503
2. Cockaponset State Forest	18.1 mi	713
3. Westwoods	13 mi	436

Full pageGuilford’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map156 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk18.4 miles of trail · Lake Gaillard Watershed Reserve Land Conserved land24.9% conserved · 7,885 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Guilford?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SchoolsA⁻

On state tests, Guilford’s schools beat 82% of Connecticut districts

Its A− for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $635K.

Its public schools are run by the Guilford School District. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

82%of CT districts it outscoresA⁻School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
E. C. Adams Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8	Grades 7–8	478	A
Guilford High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	1,008	A
Guilford Lakes SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–4	Grades PK–4	369	A

Full pageGuilford’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsGuilford School District Vs. the neighborsAhead of 3 of its 4 graded neighbors Every school7 schools · E. C. Adams Middle School Questions“Are Guilford’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within CT on state tests and graduation

HealthA

Guilford earns an A for health

Its widest gap with Connecticut is food insecurity: 6.6% of its 17,609 adults worry about having enough food, against 14.9% statewide.

13% of adults report frequent mental distress in Guilford, below both Connecticut’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (17%). 8% of Guilford adults smoke cigarettes. Guilford beats the Connecticut average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3.

94%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade

	Guilford	Connecticut towns	U.S. towns
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	13%	15%	17%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	8%	9.7%	14%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	83%	81%	79%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)	12%	14%	19%

32 measures vs. Connecticut

17 better12 too close to call3 worse

What stands out	Guilford	CT
Fewer adults facing food insecurity	6.6%	14.9%
Fewer uninsured adults	4.7%	10%
More adults who have had cancer	11.5%	8.5%

Yale-New Haven Hospital

In New Haven · emergency room

1 of 3

care shortages: mental health

74th

percentile among CT towns

Full pageGuilford’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer smokers Hospitals & doctors nearbyYale-New Haven Hospital How adults are doingFewer adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than CT on 17 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

HousingCost of living grade D

Guilford earns a D for cost of living

At 7.2 years of the New Haven metro’s $88K median household income, the typical home (about $635K) costs more against local pay than in 89% of Connecticut towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.

The median rent in Guilford is $1,717 a month. Typical home values rose 4.6% in the year to September 2026. 84% of households own their home in Guilford.

$635KZillow home value

	Guilford	Connecticut towns	U.S. towns
Median rent	$1,717 a month	$1,448 a month	$1,185 a month
Households that own their home	84%	81%	73%

Typical home value

Guilford$635K

Connecticut$447K

+4.6%

value change, 1 year

Full pageGuilford’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 4.6% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 4.6 years of income Rents$1,717 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsBehind its 4 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

SafetyB⁺

Guilford is safer than 74% of U.S. towns, by crime per resident

Reported crimes fell from 256 to 170 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 8 reported in 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 residents.

74%of U.S. towns report more crimeB⁺Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Guilford0.4

Connecticut1.1

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Guilford7.3

Connecticut11.6

U.S.15.5

74th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

64th

percentile among CT towns

violent crimes reported in 2025

162

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageGuilford’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type0.4 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 3 graded neighbors Questions“Is Guilford, CT safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers in Guilford

Guilford has chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84° and January nights drop to 20°.

84°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter23–40°

Spring38–59°

Summer61–81°

Fall44–63°

Oct 26

typical first frost

Apr 18

typical last frost

+1.7°

vs. the 20th-century average

84°

typical summer high

Full pageGuilford’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 84°, January lows 20°Rain & snow47″ of rain a year · Rain a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.7° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commuteJobs & income grade A

Guilford has 0.8 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out

Most working residents leave Guilford for work: only 15% work in town. Since 2013, Guilford has added 1,262 jobs, to 7,411 in 2023. The top destinations are New Haven (21%), Branford (5%) and Madison (4%).

15%work in town

	Guilford	Connecticut towns	U.S. towns
Median household income	$138,000	$109,000	$80,000
Work from home	22%	15%	11%
Below the poverty line	2.8%	5.8%	9.6%
Working residents who work in town	15%	11%	8%

Where working residents work

In Guilford15%

New Haven21%

Branford5%

Madison4%

North Haven3%

13 mi

median commute distance

7,411

jobs based in Guilford

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

Walkability grade: more walkable than 64% of U.S. towns

Full pageGuilford’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here7,411 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work15% work in Guilford Commute times26 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 13 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C

Guilford faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

317 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 64 properties have flooded more than once.

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 317 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Guilford.

63risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHurricanesCoastal flooding

317

paid flood claims since 1978

Full pageGuilford’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesHigh risk Flood claims317 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disastersPast disasters Get ready3.3 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Guilford

20pages on Guilford

The big questions

SchoolsA⁻Beat 82% of CT districts · 7 schools SafetyB⁺0.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than CT on 17 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingD$635K typical home · up 4.6% in a year Work & commuteA$138K median household income · 7,411 jobs here Natural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 63% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁺156 mi of trails · 25% conserved land PlacesAttractions150 nearby · Bishop's Orchards under 1 mi LibraryA7.7 library visits per resident CollegesQuinnipiac University is 11.2 mi away

The story

HistoryASettled 1639 · 17 on the National Register Famous people17 born in Guilford Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 30 residents Climate84° summer highs

Day to day

News4 recent stories about Guilford WeatherHandbookZIP code 06437 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

5 within 15 miles of the center of Guilford

Quinnipiac UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Hamden11.2 mi$55,480 tuition Albertus Magnus CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · New Haven11.3 mi$41,908 tuition Southern Connecticut State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · New Haven12.5 mi$13,438 in-state tuition

About 4 of every 100 Guilford residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

Get outside

156 miles of trails in Guilford

24.9% of the town is conserved land, across 61 parks and preserves.

Map of trails and conserved land in Guilford

ConservedTrails

Lake Gaillard Watershed Reserve Land18.4 mi of trails · 2,503 acres

Directions

Cockaponset State Forest18.1 mi of trails · 713 acres

Directions

Westwoods13 mi of trails · 436 acres

Directions

Landmarks

17 places in Guilford on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Henry Whitfield HouseNational Historic Landmark

Henry Whitfield House

Pelatiah Leete House

Acadian House

Famous people from Guilford

17 notable people were born in Guilford.

See all 17 →

Abraham BaldwinUnited States politician · 1754–1807

Samuel JohnsonPresident of Columbia University · 1696–1772

William Russel DudleyBotanist · 1849–1911

Mary FooteAmerican painter · 1872–1968

Nick FradianiAmerican singer · born 1985

Fitz-Greene HalleckAmerican writer · 1790–1867

About Guilford

Town in Connecticut, United States

Official town website ↗

Guilford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. It borders Madison, Branford, North Branford, and Durham. It is situated on I-95 and the Connecticut coast. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 22,264 at the July 2024 estimate made by the United States Census Bureau.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1639
Area: 50 sq mi
Elevation: 56 ft
ZIP code: 06437
Area code: 203

Guilford’s neighbors

6 towns share a border with Guilford.

Explore the map →

Durham next door grades lower for schools (B− to Guilford’s A−) and higher for cost of living (B− to D).

MadisonGuilford CenterBranfordNorth BranfordNorthfordDurhamGuilford

Madison

E · 4% of Guilford workers commute here

Visit

Guilford Center

Visit

Branford

SW · 5% of Guilford workers commute here

Visit

North Branford

NW · 2% of Guilford workers commute here

Visit

Northford

Visit

Durham

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	CT rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Guilford	#40	A⁻	D	B⁺	A⁻	A
Madison	#9	A	D	A⁺	A	A⁺
Guilford Center	—	—	—	—	—	—
Branford	#90	B	D	B⁻	B⁻	A
North Branford	#76	B	D	A⁻	B	A
Northford	—	—	—	—	—	—
Durham	#48	A⁻	B⁻	—	B⁻	A

Durham reports no FBI crime data of its own. Guilford Center and Northford aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Guilford with a neighbor →

Questions about Guilford

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Guilford, CT a good place to live?

For most people who can afford it, yes. Guilford grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #40 of 151 in Connecticut. It grades A for health, B+ for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.

Is Guilford, CT expensive?

Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.

What is Guilford, CT known for?

17 notable people were born here, including Abraham Baldwin and Samuel Johnson.

Post to Guilford

Check your email

GuilfordCT

Is Guilford a good place to live?

What makes Guilford stand out

387 years in pictures

How Guilford grades

Yale Bowl and 89 more within 40 miles

Moving to Guilford: who provides what

The data

Conserved land covers 24.9% of Guilford

On state tests, Guilford’s schools beat 82% of Connecticut districts

Guilford earns an A for health

Guilford earns a D for cost of living

Typical home value

Guilford is safer than 74% of U.S. towns, by crime per resident

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Four seasons and pleasant summers in Guilford

Typical low → high °F

Guilford has 0.8 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out

Where working residents work

Guilford faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

Everything we know about Guilford

Colleges nearby

156 miles of trails in Guilford

Landmarks

Famous people from Guilford

About Guilford

Guilford’s neighbors

Questions about Guilford