So you're thinking about moving to Connecticut, and maybe you already read my first ten towns blowing up in 2026. Here's the thing — that was only half the story.
A completely different set of towns was quietly putting up serious numbers across the state. So we're doing it again.
Ten more towns. Ten more reasons. And one reveal at the end I'm confident you didn't see coming.
I'm Dave Jones, broker/owner of Dave Jones Realty. My team sells real estate in every one of these towns every single week. Let's get into it.
#10 — Plymouth: the Litchfield County entry point
Plymouth sits up in Litchfield County and it's the most affordable town on this entire list.
2025 median: $344,000, up about 15% year over year. That's fast growth at a price point almost anybody can work with.
Plymouth used to be known as the clock town — it's where Eli Terry built the clocks two centuries ago that ended up in homes across the country. That history is still woven into the identity of the place. Today it's a quiet working town with lake access, rolling hills, and a genuine small downtown feel that a lot of buyers are searching for and not finding closer to the coast.
It's become the entry point for people who got priced out of the towns around it but still want the Litchfield County feel without the Litchfield County price tag. And homes here aren't sitting — at this price point, that kind of speed gets attention fast.
Some people will say it's too small. Some will say it's too quiet. But quiet isn't always a downside. Sometimes it's exactly what someone was looking for and didn't know how to name.
#9 — Southington: heating up without the noise
Southington is a Hartford County town putting up serious numbers with almost no fanfare.
2025 median: $421,000, up 9.4%. Closed sales jumped 19%. That's not a town cooling off. That's a town heating up.
Southington gives you small-town charm with real infrastructure behind it. A great downtown with restaurants and shops people actually drive in for. The Apple Harvest Festival on the town green every fall. There's a genuine sense of community here and you feel it walking down Main Street.
You've also got I-84 access, which puts Hartford, Waterbury, and parts of Fairfield County in reach without a brutal daily commute eating your life.
It's the kind of town that doesn't show up on enough lists, and the data is starting to fix that. I've shown buyers around Southington who came in expecting a sleepy pass-through and left talking about moving within the year.
#8 — Manchester: a town to plant roots in
Manchester is one of the most underrated towns on this list and the numbers back it up.
2025 median: $321,000. Closed sales up 6%. That's steady, healthy growth — not a flash in the pan that disappears next year.
Here's something interesting: a meaningful share of the out-of-state buyers landing in the Hartford area right now are coming down from Massachusetts, and Manchester is exactly the kind of town they're choosing. It makes sense the moment you see it in person.
You get a classic New England downtown, tree-lined streets, historic homes mixed with newer construction, and a real sense of community — at a price that still works if you're trying to get into Connecticut without stretching every dollar to the breaking point.
This is a town for people who want to build roots, not just get a roof over their head. You can buy a house anywhere. Manchester is the kind of place you actually plant yourself, get to know your neighbors, and stop thinking of as a stop along the way to somewhere else.
#7 — Naugatuck: value hiding in plain sight
Naugatuck — "Naugy" — is in New Haven County, and it's a town I know personally. It's got real leadership behind it, too; shout-out to Mayor Hess, a lifetime Mets fan. I understand the struggle.
2025 median: $340,000, up almost 9%. New listings were up as well, which matters — it means there's actual inventory to look at instead of a frozen market with nothing on the shelf.
Naugatuck sits in the Naugatuck Valley, close to Waterbury but with an identity entirely its own. You've got the borough green, the historic downtown, and beautiful old architecture along Church Street — at a price point that gives buyers real breathing room.
If you've read my Waterbury content, Naugatuck is the town right next door that a lot of people overlook. They shouldn't. The value here has been hiding in plain sight for a while.
#6 — North Haven: the town that quietly delivers
North Haven is a New Haven County town that performs year after year without much fanfare.
2025 median: $450,000, climbing steadily without the wild swings you see elsewhere — no spike one year and crash the next. Inventory is tight at just over a one-month supply, which tells you buyers move fast the moment something good hits.
You get I-91 and Route 15 access, a strong town center, big-box convenience, and a price point sitting right in the range most relocating buyers are actually searching in.
It's not flashy. No beach, no lake. But it's exactly the kind of steady, dependable town that quietly outperforms the flashier markets year after year.
Before we go further — let's talk
If any of these towns are catching your interest, don't just sit on it. Book a free Zoom relocation planning call. We'll sit down and go through your budget, your must-haves, and your timeline, and figure out which of these towns actually fits your life.
Call or text: 203-910-2638 — that's my actual cell. Email: Dave@davejonesrealty.com Search every home in Connecticut: www.searchallcthomes.com
That's what this whole channel exists to do.
#5 — Newtown: where Fairfield County starts making sense
Newtown is where Fairfield County finally works on a real budget.
2025 median: about $642,000, up 7.4%. Closed sales up 14%. That's serious momentum for a town this size, and it tells you buyers are actively choosing Newtown over its more expensive neighbors on purpose.
You get the Fairfield County address, the New England charm, the flagpole standing in the middle of Main Street in the Borough, open space, walking trails — at a price nowhere near what a similar lifestyle costs in Darien or New Canaan.
It's become the town people land in when they want the Fairfield County feel without the Fairfield County price, and the sales numbers are proving it out month after month. That's not a one-month fluke. It's sustainable.
#4 — Shelton: the math that's almost unfair
Shelton is the one I talk about constantly, because the math here is almost unfair to the towns around it.
2025 median: $545,000. But that's not the number that matters.
Shelton's mill rate is 18.82 — one of the lowest property tax rates anywhere in this part of the state. Compare that to nearby towns sitting in the high 30s or low 40s and you're talking about thousands of dollars a year staying in your pocket instead of going straight out the door.
On a $545,000 home, using Connecticut's 70% assessment ratio, that works out to roughly $7,180 a year. Run the same house at 40 mills and you're at about $15,260. That gap is real money, every year, for as long as you own the place.
Shelton gives you the Fairfield County address, river views along the Housatonic, and a genuinely walkable downtown with restaurants and shops people actually love. Plus a tax bill that makes your accountant happy in April.
This is the town that proves you don't have to overpay to get Fairfield County living. You just have to know where to look — and most people don't.
#3 — Oxford: the market that's giving buyers room to breathe
Oxford is New Haven County, and right now it's one of the most interesting markets in the entire state.
2025 median: $589,000, up 7%. But here's the part that matters more: the number of homes for sale jumped close to 140% in a single year.
More inventory means more choices and less of the brutal bidding-war pressure that turns every listing into a fight. Oxford is genuinely evening out right now, which is rare and worth knowing about.
You get space, real land, and a quiet semi-rural feel while still being close to everything. And the mill rate is 20.01 — for a town with that much land, that's an exceptional total-cost-of-ownership situation.
For once, a market that's giving buyers room to breathe instead of forcing a frenzy the second something goes live.
#2 — Morris: the lake house life without the plane ticket
Morris is a lake town having a real moment.
2025 median: $680,000, up 10%. But the real story here is Bantam Lake — the largest natural lake in Connecticut and one of the most sought-after recreation spots in all of Litchfield County.
I know this one firsthand: I have a home there and spend a lot of time in it. All weekend long it's people walking, hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing. It's where everybody goes to get outside. Walk into the local coffee shop and they know your order — fresh pastries in the case, sandwiches made that morning. That kind of town is a breath of fresh air.
It's like being on permanent vacation instead of taking one once a year.
Morris gives you the lake house lifestyle without leaving Connecticut. No flying somewhere every summer, no rental, no packing list every June. And inventory here has opened up, so buyers have more to choose from than in years past.
If you want water access, woods — and there are a lot of woods — and a real sense of escape while still being minutes from everything you need, this town is doing it right.
#1 — Thomaston: the biggest jump on the entire list
I told you the number one would surprise you.
Thomaston's median sales price went from $278,000 to $338,500 in a single year — a jump of roughly 22%. Nothing else on this list moved that fast. Not close.
And here's something I don't usually say: this one isn't research off a spreadsheet. It's something I know from working here and selling homes here.
Thomaston is a small Litchfield County town with a real downtown. The Seth Thomas Clock Factory gave the town its name — and here's a detail I love: Seth Thomas learned the trade working alongside Eli Terry in Plymouth, the town at number ten on this list, before striking out on his own. Two towns on one list, one shared piece of American manufacturing history.
You've got beautiful old mill architecture along the Naugatuck River and a price point that's still one of the most affordable entry points anywhere near the other towns we covered today.
People are catching on. The numbers prove it. And honestly, I'm glad more people are finding out what I've known for years.
The full list, side by side
| # | Town | County | 2025 Median | Year-Over-Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomaston | Litchfield | $338,500 | +22% |
| 2 | Morris | Litchfield | $680,000 | +10% |
| 3 | Oxford | New Haven | $589,000 | +7% (inventory +140%) |
| 4 | Shelton | Fairfield | $545,000 | Mill rate 18.82 |
| 5 | Newtown | Fairfield | $642,000 | +7.4% (sales +14%) |
| 6 | North Haven | New Haven | $450,000 | Steady climb |
| 7 | Naugatuck | New Haven | $340,000 | +~9% |
| 8 | Manchester | Hartford | $321,000 | Sales +6% |
| 9 | Southington | Hartford | $421,000 | +9.4% (sales +19%) |
| 10 | Plymouth | Litchfield | $344,000 | +~15% |
One note on what I left out
You'll notice I didn't get into crime or safety numbers for any of these towns, and that's deliberate. That data changes by source every single year and depends entirely on who's reporting it and how they're measuring. Go look at local police department reports and do your own due diligence.
Same goes for schools — I never rank districts. Check GreatSchools.org and visit in person.
The takeaway
If there's one thing to carry out of this list, it's that the best towns for your move are rarely the ones with the biggest name recognition. They're the ones where the numbers, the lifestyle, and your actual budget all line up at the same time.
That's true whether you're looking at a starter home in the $340,000 range in the Naugatuck Valley or a lake house in the $700,000 range in Morris.
The right fit matters more than the right reputation.
Call or text: 203-910-2638 Email: Dave@davejonesrealty.com Search every home in Connecticut: www.searchallcthomes.com
Market data reflects 2025 closed sales; mill rates are set annually and market conditions change. Contact Dave Jones Realty for current figures on any specific town. Buyers researching any Connecticut community should conduct their own independent due diligence on all factors relevant to their decision.
Dave Jones Realty LLC | Serving New Haven, Hartford, and Litchfield Counties