Study: Happiest Cities in Connecticut

If you're looking to escape the buzz of bigger cities like Boston or New York but still want access to what they have to offer, Connecticut is an ideal spot to settle down. Whether you prefer the suburbs or the country, the Constitution State is the total package, which makes its residents very happy campers. Nutmeggers have a positive outlook on their home state, particularly those who live in one of the 10 happiest cities below.

Study Methodology

To find out where residents have the most reasons to be happy, we used U.S. Census data and FBI crime statistics to assign each of Connecticut's cities a ranking. The ones that made it to the top 10 had the best cumulative rank based on each of the following:

1. Restaurants
   
2. Crime rate
   
3. Commute
   
4. Departure time
   
5. Income
   
6. Divorce rate
   
7. Housing

Forget about Chicago or New York style pizza. In Connecticut, “apizza” (or Neapolitan pizza that you’d find around New Haven) is where it's at. To see which cities had the most places to grab a bite with friends, we looked at the number of restaurants per capita.

Connecticut is pretty quiet, but some cities have a better reputation for safety than others. If you're wondering which of the places in our study are the most peaceful, take a look at how they ranked based on the odds of being the victim of a violent crime.

Being so close to New York, it's not unusual for residents to commute to the Big Apple. We wanted to find the shortest drives — relative to what all Nutmeggers have to endure — to find those workers who are happier than others.

Researchers believe that getting up with the sun may translate to a happier attitude. The cities in our study are ranked based in part on the percentage of residents who leave for work before 5 a.m.

Connecticut is among the wealthiest states based on per capita income but even here, wages can vary greatly from one city to the next. To see how our 10 cities stack up, we looked at the median household income.

Taking that long walk down the aisle is meant to be a joyful experience, but only if the marriage lasts. To find where marriages are more likely to last, we looked for the cities with the lowest percentages of divorced men and women.

There's a lot of prime real estate in Connecticut and competition for properties is fierce among renters and buyers. To see which cities are the most affordable, we looked at the percentage of income residents spend for housing.

10 Happiest Cities in Connecticut

10. Derby

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 347 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 461.3
  
• Average commute time: 24.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.5%
  
• Median household income: $54,561
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 11.5% of males, 12.3% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 27.4%

Derby has the distinction of being one of Connecticut's smallest cities, but it doesn't stop the smiles here from being a mile wide. Nearly 13,000 people have made their home in this charming little town along the Housatonic River. All in all, we'd say they've made an excellent choice. Median incomes surpass the $50,000 mark and the average commute's not too lengthy. If you've got a thirst for craft beer, check out what's on tap at The Dew Drop Inn.

Did You Know: The now-defunct Charlton Comics publishing company was based in Derby and gave rise to comic book heroes like Captain Atom and the Blue Beetle.

9. Ansonia

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 1474 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 664.5
  
• Average commute time: 23.3 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.1%
  
• Median household income: $54,720
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 9.6% of males, 13.5% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 26.8%

Derby's next-door neighbor Ansonia is an equally pleasant place to live. If you don't believe us, just ask the 19,000 people who have set up residence here. The median income is roughly the same but the drive to work is slightly shorter. The neighborhoods seem to be safer, based on the violent crime rate, and you won't shell out too much more of your income for your rent or mortgage.

Did You Know: One of Ansonia's most notable historic landmarks is the former home of David Humphreys, a friend of George Washington who served as the country's first foreign ambassador.

8. Meriden

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 556 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 274.5
  
• Average commute time: 22.1 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.6%
  
• Median household income: $53,831
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 9.3% of males, 13.6% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 26.1%

Life is merry for the nearly 61,000 people who live in Meriden. This energetic city is situated smack dab between Hartford and New Haven, less than 25 miles from either of them. The median income takes a slight dip to just under $54,000, but residents are able to shave a couple of minutes off the average commute time. When you're in the mood for brick oven pizza, the pies at The Little Rendezvous are sure to hit the spot.

Did You Know: Tomie dePaola , award-winning author of the children's books, Strega Nona and The Barkers, was born in Meriden.

7. Danbury

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 425 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 751.3
  
• Average commute time: 25.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2%
  
• Median household income: $66,281
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 7.8% of males, 11.9% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 26.9%

There are almost 83,000 people residing in Danbury and they've got loads of reasons to shout for joy. Workers here see some bigger paychecks compared to the cities we've profiled so far, taking home a median income of over $66,000. Violent crime doesn't make the headlines too often and the divorce rate isn't as high as in other spots on our list. You'll spend a little more of your pay on housing but home and rental prices are less expensive than the Stamford metro area overall.

Did You Know: Danbury borders Candlewood Lake, the largest lake in Connecticut.

6. Norwich

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 482 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 409.3
  
• Average commute time: 21.5 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 4.8%
  
• Median household income: $51,304
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 14.2% of males, 14.5% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 26.1%

Norwich made it to number six on our list thanks to the combination of a shorter average commute and a respectable median income of $51,000. The city's nearly 41,000 residents hand over about 26% of their pay for housing, which is slightly higher than in other cities but still not too taxing. There are plenty of great restaurants to choose from, especially if you've got a craving for Italian.

Did You Know: Norwich is the birthplace of several noted Americans, including Benedict Arnold, author Annie Proulx and former First Lady Edith Roosevelt.

5. Stamford

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 375 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 353.8
  
• Average commute time: 24.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 1.6%
  
• Median household income: $76,797
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 7% of males, 10.8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 28.4%

With a population of right around 125,000 people, Stamford is the largest city to make it into our top 10. Aside from some excellent views of the Long Island Sound, it also offers convenient access to New York City, which is about 40 miles away. Residents here don't have any complaints when payday rolls around, and they're not staying tied up in traffic for too long on the way to work. You'll see a big jump in housing prices but that hasn't deterred the city's continued growth.

Did You Know: Sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who lent his artistry to the creation of Mount Rushmore, once lived in Stamford.

4. Bristol

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 606 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 652.6
  
• Average commute time: 23.5 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.2%
  
• Median household income: $58,814
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 13% of males, 14.5% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 23.2%

It's crystal clear why people in Bristol are tickled pink about their choice of hometown. The city's 61,000 residents spend the lowest percentage of their income on housing and they have their choice of safe, quiet neighborhoods. It takes workers less than 24 minutes on average to get to the office, and the time they put in adds up to a nearly $59,000 median salary.

Did You Know: The Bristol Mum Festival celebrates the city's heritage as a leading producer of chrysanthemums.

3. New London

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 318 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 75.5
  
• Average commute time: 20.1 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 5.1%
  
• Median household income: $44,106
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 10.7% of males, 13% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 26.7%

New London is a quaint seaside town that's perfect for people who want to get away from it all. It snagged the third place position for having the highest percentage of residents who head out the door at the break of dawn. Fortunately, they're not on the road for too long. Pizza is always on the menu at many of New London's local restaurants but if a bowl of hot chowder and a lobster roll are what you're hungry for, a visit to Fred's Shanty is a must.

Did You Know: Before becoming a spy for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, Connecticut's official state hero Nathan Hale taught school in New London.

2. Groton

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 293 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 611.6
  
• Average commute time: 18 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2%
  
• Median household income: $51,833
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 10% of males, 20.6% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 23.9%

With just under 10,000 residents, Groton is much smaller than New London, which is a stone's throw across the Thames River. Still, it managed to climb to the number two spot, due to the shortest average commute and the most restaurants per capita. The violent crime rate isn’t too shabby and neither is the median income. The Captain Daniel Packer Inne gets the green light from residents who enjoy the authentic English pub fare.

Did You Know: During World War II, Groton became known as the "Submarine Capital of the World."

1. Shelton

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 474 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 1821
  
• Average commute time: 24.9 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.8%
  
• Median household income: $83,755
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 6.1% of males, 9.5% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 24.7%

Shelton sits on the opposite bank of the Housatonic, across from both Derby and Ansonia. For the 40,000 people who live here, it's an idyllic place to put down roots. It scored the best ranking in terms of its violent crime rate, and the median income outstrips all of the other cities in our study. Married couples appear to get along pretty well based on the combined divorce rate, and getting to the office takes less than 25 minutes on average.

Did You Know: The original Wiffle ball — that symbol of many a happy game in the backyard — is manufactured in Shelton by Wiffle Ball Inc.

Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford represent some of Connecticut's most popular cities and there's no denying that they're outstanding places to call home. Based on the study measures we used, however, the cities that made our final rankings had that little something extra that made them stand out in the crowd as the happiest overall.