Lakes WestCT
A town of 1,395.
Is Lakes West a good place to live?
Lake Windwing, at 60 acres with 1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. We don’t grade Lakes West yet; the figures below are still real.
1,395 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
United States Military Academy and 118 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lakes West. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
Big draw39 mi MuseumThe Cloisters
27 mi LandmarkFerncliff Cemetery
12 mi LakeCandlewood Lake
39 mi Zoo & aquariumBronx Zoo
35 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a yearPhoto credits
United States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · The Cloisters: Paweł Drozd on Wiki Drozdpl cropped by Beyond My Ken (talk) 17:05, 27 December 2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ferncliff Cemetery: Anthony22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Candlewood Lake: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Bronx Zoo: Stavenn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site: Crunch, CC BY-SA 4.0
Moving to Lakes West: who provides what
Lakes West is unincorporated, so Fairfield County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Lakes West.
A smaller share of residents live below the poverty line in Lakes West than in most of Connecticut or the rest of the country
Only 7 of the 156 Connecticut towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Lakes West. The middle household income for Lakes West comes to $220,000, above both Connecticut’s towns ($109,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). The share of working residents in Lakes West who work locally: 0.8%. Jobs locally fell by 36 from 2013 to 2023, to 40.
| Lakes West | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $220,000 | $109,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 1.2% | 5.8% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 11% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Lakes West has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 83° in July, and January nights bottom out around 19°; snowfall runs to about 49 inches a winter. Lakes West has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Lakes West stands out in Connecticut and nationally: a smaller share of its adults have high blood pressure
For adults in Lakes West, the share who feel lonely is 30%. Among 155 Connecticut towns, just one has a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Lakes West. Just over a fifth of Lakes West adults have obesity, where Connecticut’s towns sit at 30% and U.S. towns at 35%. Two figures for adults locally: 8.9% report frequent physical distress, 12% report frequent mental distress.
| Lakes West | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 30% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.9% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.2% | 9.7% | 14% |
| What stands out | Lakes West | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.5% | 14.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.6% | 8.4% |
| More binge drinkers | 17.9% | 15.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lakes West faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
68% of Lakes West’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hurricanes at 20%. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 60% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Conserved land covers 7.9% of Lakes West
In Lakes West, the trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile. Trails run 1.8 miles in 11 parks and preserves.
| Lakes West | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.9% | 14% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Windwing | 1 mi | 60 |
| 2. Liebowitz-Knapp Open Space | 0.4 mi | 12 |
| 3. Ridgebury Slope | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes in Lakes West sell for about $1.26M
In Lakes West, 100% of households live in a home they own.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Lakes West
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lakes West
About 3 of every 100 Lakes West residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.
99% of working residents leave Lakes West for work
Where Lakes West’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Lakes West
Census-designated place in Connecticut, United States
Lakes West is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Ridgefield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is in the northern part of the town on the north side of Ridgebury Mountain and extending north into a valley occupied by Lake Windwing. It is bordered to the east by the Lakes East CDP and to the northwest by Ridgebury. As of the 2020 census, Lakes West had a population of 1,186. Lakes West was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 745 ft
Questions about Lakes West
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lakes West, CT a good place to live?
We don’t grade Lakes West yet; the figures below are still real.