45. Cheshire, Conn.
| AT A GLANCE | |
| Population | 29,633 |
| Median Income | $110,738 |
| Job Growth | 5.2% |
| Median Home Price | $285,375 |
| Property Tax | $6,352 |
Residents of this verdant New England community take pride in their hometown’s history as an 18th-century farming village that by the turn of the 20th century had evolved into a manufacturing hub. Today Cheshire is known for excellent schools, healthy residents, and low unemployment—3.8%, well below the national average—as well as relatively easy commutes to nearby jobs in Danbury, New Haven, and Hartford.
The town features plenty of leisure activities, including a popular symphony and performing arts center, as well as the 84-mile Farmington Canal Heritage walking trail, which passes through Cheshire on its way from New Haven to the Massachusetts border. One of the more interesting local venues is the Barker Character, Comic, & Cartoon Museum, with its collection of nearly 80,000 toys and comic memorabilia. Plus, a new arts center featuring galleries and shops is being planned at the location of a former ball and socket factory.—Susie Poppick