Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Redding is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, 4th of 151 graded towns in Connecticut. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally, it reports less crime per resident than 96% of U.S. towns, and its public schools beat 96% of Connecticut towns on state tests and graduation. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $868K, 7.6 years of the Bridgeport metro’s $115K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 6 places on the National Register. 72% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Redding, above both the Connecticut town median (45%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Only 10 of Connecticut’s 175 towns score higher on the outdoors. Redding's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Where Redding beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Redding | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.7% | 14.9% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Redding Elementary School | PK–4 | 471 |
| John Read Middle School | 5–8 | 381 |
| Joel Barlow High School | 9–12 | 698 |
Census counts: 1,503 in 1790, 8,765 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1730 and 5 maps from 1892 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Connecticut), ordered by how far Redding is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Redding. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
30 mi LandmarkFerncliff Cemetery
22 mi Stadium & arenaYale Bowl
14 mi LakeCandlewood Lake
13 mi MuseumGlass House
29 mi National Historic SiteSagamore Hill National Historic Site122K visitors a yearUnited States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Ferncliff Cemetery: Anthony22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yale Bowl: Kenneth Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Candlewood Lake: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Glass House: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Sagamore Hill National Historic Site: Unknown, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Redding, 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 Redding.
Redding has schools in the top 5% of Connecticut, has more 90° days than almost anywhere else in Connecticut and has less food insecurity than most of Connecticut.
At 7.6 years of the Bridgeport metro’s $115K median household income, the typical home (about $868K) costs more against local pay than in 91% of Connecticut towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. 64.9% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 52.6% across Connecticut.
The median rent in Redding is $2,101 a month. The typical Redding home is worth about $868,000, up 4% in a year, 94% above the Connecticut typical home. 92% of Redding households own their home.
| Redding | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,101 a month | $1,448 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 92% | 81% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #4 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 $868K.
Its public schools are run by the Redding School District. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Joel Barlow High School, with 698 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redding Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 471 | A |
| Joel Barlow High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 698 | A |
| John Read Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 381 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CT on state tests and graduation
71 miles of trail in 46 parks and preserves. Redding’s trail density is 2.3 miles per square mile. Collis P. Huntington State Park, at 576 acres with 14 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Collis P. Huntington State Park | 14 mi | 576 |
| 2. Saugatuck Falls Natural Area | 5.6 mi | 314 |
| 3. Limekiln Natural Area | 5.6 mi | 188 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Connecticut is food insecurity: 5.7% of its 6,926 adults worry about having enough food, against 14.9% statewide.
Redding beats the Connecticut average on 23 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 22% of adults have obesity in Redding. Among 154 Connecticut towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Redding.
| Redding | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 30% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 22% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.3% | 9.7% | 14% |
| What stands out | Redding | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.7% | 14.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.4% | 12.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.4% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Among 90 Connecticut towns, just 3 have a lower property crime rate than Redding.
| Redding | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 9.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The average commute for its 3,254 working residents takes 36.1 minutes, against 26.5 across Connecticut. 32.5% of workers work from home, against 16% across Connecticut.
Most working residents leave Redding for work: only 8% work in town. Only 7 of the 155 Connecticut towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Redding. Since 2013, Redding has lost 119 jobs, to 1,284 in 2023.
| Redding | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 33% | 15% | 11% |
| Median household income | $186,000 | $109,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 5.8% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Danbury weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 20 days a year reach 90°, the highest of 364 Connecticut places with climate records.
Redding has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 19° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Redding.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
5 within 15 miles of the center of Redding
About 4 of every 100 Redding residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.
29.6% of the town is conserved land, across 46 parks and preserves.
6 places in Redding on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Redding.
Town in Connecticut, United States
Redding is an incorporated town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,765 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
9 towns share a border with Redding.
| Town | CT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redding | #4 | A+ | D | A+ | A+ | A+ |
| Easton | #5 | A+ | D | A | A+ | A+ |
| Ridgefield | #2 | A+ | D | A+ | A | A+ |
| Bethel | #31 | A− | C− | A | B− | A |
| Weston | #8 | A+ | D− | A+ | A | A+ |
| Wilton | #3 | A+ | C− | A | A | A+ |
| Topstone | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Branchville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Topstone and Branchville aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Redding with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Redding grades A+ overall, better than 96% of U.S. towns and #4 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. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
11 notable people were born here, including Hope Lange and Joel Barlow.
