Anyone buying a home in Connecticut should take a close look at Wallingford. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because the town was the setting of the Drew Barrymore movie “Riding in Cars with Boys,” but that isn’t the town’s only claim to fame.
Founded in 1667, Wallingford is one of the oldest towns in Connecticut. It sits on the Quinnipiac River in the southern part of the state between Hartford and New Haven and claims a population of 45,000. Wallingford has a thriving historical district, and it also serves as the headquarters of several corporations in the medical, service and metal industries.
Wallingford is also an ideal place to raise children. In fact, families with children under 18 make up 70% of the town’s population. That’s because the town boasts a top-notch school district that includes eight elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and the famous Choate Rosemary Hall academy – which lists John F. Kennedy, Michael Douglas and Ivanka Trump among its alumni.
You won’t get bored in Wallingford, either. You can indulge in the arts at the Paul Mellon Arts Center or play a few rounds at any of the town’s eight golf courses, and if you need some more culture than that, it’s only a two-hour drive to New York City or Boston. On the other hand, if you just want to get away from it all you can go hiking in any of the nearby state parks or nature preserves. You can even walk down the same trail George Washington did on his way to Durham in 1775 and 1789.
The average home in Wallingford costs around $325,000. Foreclosures are rare, but you can take that as a sign of the town’s financial security. In fact, Wallingford has one of the lowest poverty rates of any town in the state at only 2.4%.
If you’re buying Connecticut real estate, keep Wallingford near the top of your list. Its strong ties to history and its big-city accessibility make it a perfect place to live for families and married couples.
