Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,618, settled in 1802.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Sherman grades B+ overall, ranked 68th of 151 in Connecticut. It is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns. The median household earns $116K. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $497K for a typical one and 4.3 times the Bridgeport metro’s $115K median household income. Sherman’s average trip to work is 40 minutes, above both Connecticut’s towns (27 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 155 in Connecticut we compare has a higher median age than Sherman. Sherman's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Where Sherman beats most towns.
Where Sherman’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Connecticut), ordered by how far Sherman is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 949 in 1810, a low of 391 in 1930, 3,527 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 4 maps from 1892 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sherman, 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 Sherman.
Sherman has less food insecurity than most of Connecticut, but it has commutes longer than most of Connecticut.
Its widest gap with Connecticut is food insecurity: 6.3% of its 2,997 adults worry about having enough food, against 14.9% statewide.
23% of adults have obesity in Sherman. Sherman beats the Connecticut average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 12% of adults report frequent mental distress in Sherman.
| Sherman | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 30% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.1% | 9.7% | 14% |
| What stands out | Sherman | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.3% | 14.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.8% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Sherman School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherman SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 229 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CT on state tests
30 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves. The trail density in Sherman is 1.3 miles per square mile. Deer Pond Farm, at 388 acres with 6.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Deer Pond Farm | 6.7 mi | 388 |
| 2. Appalachian Trail Scenic Open Space | 3.3 mi | 291 |
| 3. Mallory Preserve | 2.3 mi | 117 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The average commute for its 1,335 working residents takes 40.1 minutes, against 26.5 across Connecticut. 41.9% of workers work from home, against 16% across Connecticut.
Most working residents leave Sherman for work: only 12% work in town. 2.2% of Sherman residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Sherman has added 51 jobs, to 455 in 2023.
| Sherman | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.2% | 5.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $116,000 | $109,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 11% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sherman.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sherman has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 17° and about 58 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sherman. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
6 mi LakeCandlewood Lake
24 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
33 mi Stadium & arenaYale Bowl
30 mi Theme parkLake Compounce
27 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a yearUnited States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Candlewood Lake: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site: Crunch, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yale Bowl: Kenneth Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Compounce: Wildcat1 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site: Daderot, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Sherman
About 5 of every 100 Sherman residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.
Town in Connecticut, United States
Sherman is the northernmost and least populous town of Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,527 at the 2020 census. Before 1802, the town was incorporated as part of New Fairfield. It is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. Sherman is a popular weekend retreat for New York City residents, with about a third of its residents weekenders. The town is located 62 miles (100 km) northeast of New York City, making it part of the New York metropolitan area. Sherman is the only town in Fairfield County in the 860 area code; the remainder of the county is served by the area code 203/area code 475 overlay. The town is named for Founding Father Roger Sherman.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Sherman.
| Town | CT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherman | #68 | B+ | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| New Milford | #89 | B | C | A− | C+ | A |
| Gaylordsville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kent | #23 | A | B | — | B+ | A |
| New Fairfield | #63 | B+ | D | — | A− | A |
Sherman, Kent and New Fairfield report no FBI crime data of their own. Gaylordsville isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Sherman with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Sherman grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #68 of 151 in Connecticut. It grades A+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
2 notable people were born here, including Marsh Giddings and Joe Moravsky.
