Gold Coast (Connecticut) facts for kids
The Gold Coast, also known as Lower Fairfield County or Southwestern Connecticut, is a very wealthy part of Western Connecticut. It includes the southern area of Fairfield County. This region is about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of New York City. Many rich business people who work in Manhattan live here.
This area is often shown in books and movies as a place where wealthy people live. Since the mid-1900s, many stories and films have been set here. These include Gentleman's Agreement, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, Revolutionary Road, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, The Swimmer, The Stepford Wives, and The Ice Storm. The TV show Billions also shows how important this area is for financial companies.
Towns and Neighborhoods
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The Gold Coast includes many towns and neighborhoods. These places are known for their expensive homes. Many of them are right along the coast. They are also close to New York City.
- Aspetuck
- Back Country
- Belle Haven
- Bell Island
- Black Rock
- Bridgeport
- Byram
- Compo
- Cos Cob
- The Cove
- Darien
- East Norwalk
- Easton
- Fairfield
- Fairfield Beach
- Greenfield Hill
- Greens Farms
- Greenwich
- Lordship
- Lyons Plains
- Mianus
- New Canaan
- Nichols
- Noroton
- Noroton Heights
- North Stamford
- Norwalk
- Old Greenwich
- Redding
- Ridgefield
- Riverside
- Round Hill
- Rowayton
- Sasco Hill
- Saugatuck
- Shippan Point
- Silvermine
- South Norwalk
- Southport
- St. Mary's-by-the-Sea
- Stamford
- Stratford
- Tokeneke
- Weston
- Westover
- Westport
- Wilson Point
- Wilton
Wealthiest Towns
Historically, Greenwich has been seen as the wealthiest town in Connecticut. This is mainly because it has access to the water and is very close to Manhattan.
However, in 2018, Riverside became even wealthier. Riverside is a neighborhood in Greenwich. Its average income was higher than Greenwich's. This change might be because people now prefer neighborhoods where they can walk easily. They also like places with good services and easy train access. Riverside is known for these things. Much of Greenwich stretches far from the coast. It is home to many older, wealthy families. They do not often travel to Manhattan.
After Riverside and Greenwich, the next richest towns are Darien, New Canaan, Old Greenwich, and Rowayton. Most of these towns are located on the coast. They are also not far east of Greenwich and Riverside.
Greenwich has the lowest "mill rate." A mill rate is how much property tax you pay. A lower mill rate can mean that properties there are worth more. Darien has the second-lowest mill rate.
In 2000, New Canaan had more homeowners than Greenwich. This means more people owned their homes in New Canaan. Some people think this makes New Canaan the wealthiest town. It suggests that residents have more personal wealth. In 2011, a local newspaper said Darien was the richest town in the state.
Another way to measure wealth is by looking at the value of a town's property per person. This includes homes and businesses. Greenwich has the highest property value per person in Connecticut. This value helps pay for public education. It does not measure how much money individual people have.
