Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Few places in the country grade higher. New Canaan earns an A+, 7th among Connecticut's 151 graded towns. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates, its schools rank ahead of 98% of Connecticut towns, and the median household earns $250K. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.6 million, 14.1 years of the Bridgeport metro’s $115K median household income. 83% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in New Canaan, against 45% in Connecticut’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include John Rogers Studio and Richard and Geraldine Hodgson House. New Canaan is more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns.
Where New Canaan beats most towns.
John Rogers Studio| Widest gap | New Canaan | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.6% | 14.9% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| East School | K–4 | 554 |
| West School | PK–4 | 481 |
| South School | K–4 | 477 |
John Rogers Studio is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 1,599 in 1810, 20,622 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1740 and 3 maps from 1951 on.
25 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Connecticut), ordered by how far New Canaan is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around New Canaan. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
Big draw36 mi GardenCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw37 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw36 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a yearUnited States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Madison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Canaan, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in New Canaan.
New Canaan is among the three healthiest towns in Connecticut, has schools in the top 5% of Connecticut and reports less crime than Wilton or any other graded neighbor.
It ranks #3 of the 154 Connecticut towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Connecticut is food insecurity: 5.6% of its 14,566 adults worry about having enough food, against 14.9% statewide.
21% of New Canaan adults have obesity. Only 3 of the 154 Connecticut towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than New Canaan. 17% of New Canaan adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| New Canaan | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 30% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 5.9% | 9.7% | 14% |
| What stands out | New Canaan | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.6% | 14.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.6% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A+ ranks #1 of the 152 Connecticut towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.61M.
Its public schools are run by the New Canaan School District. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is New Canaan High School, with 1,257 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saxe Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 1,271 | A+ |
| New Canaan High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,257 | A+ |
| West SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 481 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CT on state tests and graduation
Its A tops all 4 graded towns on its borders; Wilton (A) comes closest. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 residents.
Only 7 of the 90 Connecticut towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than New Canaan. The property crime rate in New Canaan is 4.8 per 1,000 residents.
| New Canaan | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 9.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.1 per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
New Canaan has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 21° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
82 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 10 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 82 flood insurance claims have been paid out in New Canaan.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
New Canaan has about as many jobs (6,435) as working residents, but only 953 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 38 minutes, against 26.5 across Connecticut.
3.7% of residents live below the poverty line in New Canaan. Among 155 Connecticut towns, just 3 have a higher median household income than New Canaan. New Canaan’s average trip to work is 38 minutes.
| New Canaan | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 35% | 15% | 11% |
| Median household income | $250,000 | $109,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 38 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 5.8% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
11 miles of trail in 16 parks and preserves. Waveny Park, at 284 acres with 4.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| New Canaan | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.8% | 14% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Waveny Park | 4.6 mi | 284 |
| 2. New Canaan Nature Center | 2.1 mi | 46 |
| 3. Irwin Park | 1.1 mi | 37 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 14.1 years of the Bridgeport metro’s $115K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 98% of Connecticut towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
Among 151 Connecticut towns, just 3 have a higher median rent than New Canaan.
| New Canaan | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,401 a month | $1,448 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 81% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
5 within 15 miles of the center of New Canaan
About 5 of every 100 New Canaan residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.
25 places in New Canaan on the National Register of Historic Places.
19 notable people were born in New Canaan.
Town in Connecticut, United States
New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. The town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bounded on the south by Darien, to the west by Stamford, on the east by Wilton, on the southeast by Norwalk, and on the north by Lewisboro and Pound Ridge in Westchester County, New York. New Canaan is known for its architecture and public parks such as Waveny Park, and a town center with boutiques. Residents sing carols on God's Acre every Christmas Eve, a town tradition since 1916.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with New Canaan.
| Town | CT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Canaan | #7 | A+ | D− | A | A+ | A+ |
| Wilton | #3 | A+ | C− | A | A | A+ |
| Stamford | #119 | C+ | D− | B− | C− | A |
| Norwalk | #109 | C+ | D− | B | C | A |
| Darien | #11 | A | D− | B+ | A+ | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. New Canaan grades A+ overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #7 of 151 in Connecticut. It grades A+ for health, A for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,612,000, 260% above the Connecticut typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
19 notable people were born here, including Sarah Rafferty and Anthony Comstock.
_-_Full_(48124330357).jpg){kind=link}
_-_Central_Park,_NYC.jpg){kind=link}